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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: bound · degree · ruler · firm · face · hide

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. 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. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. firm — decided
  4. bound — tied together
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. face — to point toward
  7. degree — an amount
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. firm — steady
  10. bound — obliged
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. face — to confront
  13. degree — from a university
  14. firm — a company
  15. bound — certain
  16. face — part of the head
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. 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