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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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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: degree · ruler · lie · saw · bat · trunk · rest · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rest — what's left
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. degree — temperature
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pass — a permit
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rest — a break
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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