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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 · rash · face · rule · stick · bear · pop · tube

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rash — a series
  3. rule — government
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. face — to confront
  7. rule — a law
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pop — soda
  10. degree — from a university
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pop — to visit
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pop — music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. tube — a container
  22. degree — an amount
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rash — on the skin

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