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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: rest · lean · drill · ruler · craft · degree · arm · sharp

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. craft — boats
  6. degree — an amount
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. drill — army training
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rest — a break
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. sharp — clever
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. lean — thin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. arm — a part of something

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