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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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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 · degree · pound · foot · arm · lie · rock · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. degree — temperature
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pound — a weight
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rock — music
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. degree — from a university

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