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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: bay · wound · ruler · mouse · drill · degree · clip · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. degree — temperature
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. drill — army training
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rest — a break
  17. clip — a video
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. degree — from a university
  24. drill — a practice

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