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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 116 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: last · row · pop · bear · suit · degree · ruler · face

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. degree — an amount
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. face — part of the head
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bear — the animal
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pop — music
  12. last — to go on
  13. suit — to fit
  14. degree — from a university
  15. suit — clothes
  16. last — final
  17. pop — soda
  18. face — to confront
  19. bear — the animal
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. last — finally
  23. degree — temperature
  24. ruler — for measuring

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