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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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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 · roll · rule · calf · band · rest · lie · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rule — government
  5. rest — a break
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rule — a law
  9. roll — a list
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. band — a music group
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. band — a ring
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. degree — an amount
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lie — to recline

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