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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bulb · game · content · hide · rush · degree · arm · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. content — happy
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. game — wild animals
  13. degree — an amount
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. game — a match
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. content — the amount
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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