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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: wave · ruler · stand · tube · degree · wound · mouse · chair

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stand — to bear
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. chair — a leader
  12. tube — a container
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wound — an injury
  20. tube — the underground
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stand — on your feet

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