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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: ruler · scale · degree · lash · dip · bear · face · fan

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. face — part of the head
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. degree — temperature
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. scale — in music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. degree — an amount
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. face — to confront

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