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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: wind · root · ruler · pass · calf · degree · spell · present

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pass — a permit
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. root — of a word
  11. spell — magic
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. spell — a short time
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. degree — temperature
  22. spell — letters
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — there

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