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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: degree · lie · rule · ground · fall · present · wax · season

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. degree — an amount
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. present — a gift
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fall — to drop
  10. season — of the year
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. present — there
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rule — government
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fall — the season
  23. rule — a law
  24. wax — in the ear

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