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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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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: swing · lie · bowl · calf · rule · degree

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. degree — from a university
  6. swing — to play on
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rule — government
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. degree — temperature
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. swing — music
  18. rule — to rule out

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