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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 116 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: clip · lie · ruler · trunk · can · root · bat · degree

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. degree — temperature
  5. root — the cause
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. root — of a plant
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. can — a tin
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. clip — for paper
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bat — the animal
  16. can — to be able to
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — a tin
  20. root — of a word
  21. clip — a video
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. degree — an amount

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