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

Word bank: last · foot · wind · degree · ruler · firm

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. last — to go on
  3. firm — a company
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. last — finally
  7. wind — moving air
  8. degree — temperature
  9. firm — steady
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. degree — an amount
  12. foot — a measure
  13. degree — from a university
  14. firm — decided
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wind — moving air
  17. last — final
  18. foot — part of the body

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