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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: lean · rock · mug · cue · degree · ruler · mate · mark

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rock — a stone
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mark — a trace
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lean — to bend
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mug — to rob
  15. lean — thin
  16. mug — a face
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cue — a hint
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rock — music
  22. cue — a signal
  23. degree — temperature
  24. ruler — for measuring

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