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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: ruler · degree · prune · hide · rule · face · race · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. degree — from a university
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. prune — to trim
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. prune — to trim
  14. degree — an amount
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. face — part of the head
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rule — government
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. face — to confront
  23. race — humankind
  24. rule — a law

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