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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: lie · current · degree · can · sharp · rule · hide · season

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. degree — an amount
  7. season — in sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. sharp — clever
  10. degree — from a university
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. season — of the year
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lie — to recline
  17. current — happening now
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. can — a tin
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. can — to be able to
  23. degree — temperature
  24. lie — an untruth

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