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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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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: bear · row · degree · stem · rule · ruler

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. stem — to come from
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rule — government
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. degree — an amount
  13. row — a line
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bear — the animal
  17. degree — temperature
  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