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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · staff · rule · wound · tube · face · degree · stick

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. 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. face — part of the head
  2. degree — temperature
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rule — government
  5. wound — an injury
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wound — an injury
  10. degree — an amount
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. staff — a stick
  15. face — to confront
  16. staff — employees
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. degree — from a university
  19. roll — a list
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. roll — a cake
  22. tube — a container
  23. staff — employees
  24. 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