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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.

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: rule · wake · degree · bore · bowl · season · branch · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wake — a trail
  8. season — of the year
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. degree — an amount
  18. season — in sport
  19. branch — a division
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rule — a law
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rule — government

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