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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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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rule — a law
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. degree — from a university
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rule — government
  18. perch — the fish
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bound — certain
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bound — tied together
  24. calf — a young animal

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