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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 120 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: hand · mark · stock · sharp · degree · ruler · press · lie

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. hand — help
  15. press — a publisher
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stock — goods
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stock — shares
  24. hand — in cards

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