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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 116 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 · rock · spell · wave · fall · rule · hide · row

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. spell — a short time
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. fall — the season
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. spell — letters
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rock — music
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rock — a stone
  16. spell — magic
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rule — a law
  19. fall — to drop
  20. row — a line
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rule — government
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fall — to drop

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