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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
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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: firm · calf · rash · fan · spring · degree · temple · rule

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rule — a law
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. degree — temperature
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. spring — a coil
  8. degree — an amount
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spring — of water
  15. degree — from a university
  16. firm — a company
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rule — government
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. spring — the season

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