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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 120 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: safe · hand · ruler · degree · clip · net · cabinet · deal

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. degree — temperature
  8. deal — to handle
  9. net — for catching
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. net — in sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. clip — to cut
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. net — after costs
  23. hand — help
  24. deal — an agreement

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