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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: tear · content · temple · patient · ruler · degree · roll · cue

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. roll — a list
  3. degree — from a university
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. cue — a hint
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tear — to rip
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. degree — temperature
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cue — for pool
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. roll — a cake
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cue — a signal
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. patient — a sick person

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