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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: lie · degree · bear · row · mouse · straw · fine · ruler

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bear — the animal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. row — a line
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. row — to paddle
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fine — all right
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. fine — high quality

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