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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: plane · degree · straw · rock · rule · ruler

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rock — a stone
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rule — government
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. plane — a tool

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