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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 120 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: rule · ruler · stem · face · degree · bulb

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. stem — to come from
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. degree — temperature
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. face — to confront
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bulb — for light
  15. degree — from a university
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law

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