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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: degree · cap · mouse · rock · last · track · ruler · lean

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. last — finally
  2. lean — thin
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cap — a hat
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. track — a path
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rock — music
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cap — of ice
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. track — a song
  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