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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. degree — an amount
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. staff — employees
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. staff — employees
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. capital — a city
  21. staff — a stick
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. capital — money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com