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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 116 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: ruler · kick · chip · bound · degree · rush · present · lie

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. degree — temperature
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. present — there
  6. bound — certain
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. present — the time now
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bound — obliged
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. present — a gift
  20. degree — from a university
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bound — tied together
  24. chip — in a computer

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