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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. tear — to rip
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lie — to recline
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rule — government
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fall — to drop
  9. tear — from crying
  10. degree — temperature
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. degree — from a university
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fall — the season
  24. calf — of the leg

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