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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · mine · plane · lie · fall · degree · stock · ruler

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fall — to drop
  11. degree — an amount
  12. stock — goods
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fall — the season
  15. stock — shares
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. degree — from a university
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pitcher — a jug

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