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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: degree · lie · spring · cabinet · row · foot · rule · face

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. degree — from a university
  4. face — to point toward
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. rule — government
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. degree — an amount
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rule — a law
  17. face — to confront
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. foot — a measure
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. face — part of the head
  24. spring — a coil

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