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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.

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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 · march · row · face · bear · rule · calf · dip

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. march — music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bear — the animal
  8. face — to confront
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. degree — an amount
  14. march — the month
  15. bear — the animal
  16. march — the month
  17. rule — a law
  18. row — a line
  19. degree — from a university
  20. face — part of the head
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. row — to paddle
  23. face — to point toward
  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