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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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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 · pound · lie · calf · last · press · perch · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. last — finally
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. press — a publisher
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. lie — to recline
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. degree — from a university
  18. last — to go on
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rule — a law
  22. last — final
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pound — a weight

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