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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 124 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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. degree — an amount
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ground — a position
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bank — for money
  18. ground — crushed
  19. lie — to recline
  20. shower — rain
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. shower — to wash
  24. degree — temperature

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