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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: ruler · key · lie · patient · degree · present

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. key — the most important part
  7. present — a gift
  8. key — in music
  9. degree — from a university
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. present — the time now
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. present — there
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. degree — temperature
  17. key — for a lock
  18. degree — an amount

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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