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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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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: rule · calf · degree · shower · perch · wax · stick · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rule — a law
  6. saw — the tool
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. saw — the tool
  10. degree — an amount
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rule — government
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. degree — temperature
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. degree — from a university

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