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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: clip · temple · root · suit · ruler · shower · degree · bound

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. degree — an amount
  3. suit — clothes
  4. root — of a word
  5. degree — from a university
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. shower — rain
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. clip — to cut
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. clip — for paper
  13. suit — to fit
  14. root — the cause
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. suit — in cards
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. clip — a video
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. degree — temperature
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bound — certain

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