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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: season · degree · rule · land · safe · hide · calf · nail

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. degree — temperature
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. degree — from a university
  11. season — in sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. land — a country
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. degree — an amount

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