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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 · face · lie · craft · hide · root · ruler · shower

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — an amount
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. root — of a plant
  6. craft — boats
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. root — of a word
  9. shower — to wash
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. degree — temperature
  13. face — to confront
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. shower — rain
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. root — the cause
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. hide — to keep secret

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