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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pass — a permit
  9. board — to get on
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. board — a committee
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cap — a hat

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