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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.

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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: calf · stick · snap · degree · season · pass · rule · file

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rule — government
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. season — of the year
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. file — a document
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. snap — to click
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. degree — from a university
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. season — in sport
  22. degree — an amount
  23. rule — a law
  24. season — to add flavour

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