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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: toast · spell · cap · root · ruler · degree · rash · face

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cap — a hat
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rash — a series
  7. degree — an amount
  8. face — to point toward
  9. root — the cause
  10. spell — magic
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. degree — from a university
  13. root — of a plant
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. toast — bread
  17. root — of a word
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spell — a short time
  20. degree — temperature
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spell — letters
  23. face — to confront
  24. cap — a lid

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