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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: degree · ruler · cue · mine · straw · stand · shower · band

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mine — for digging
  9. band — a ring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. shower — rain
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stand — to bear

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