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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: wave · face · lie · suit · stem · ruler · cabinet · degree

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. face — part of the head
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. face — to point toward
  20. lie — to recline
  21. degree — temperature
  22. face — to confront
  23. suit — to fit
  24. ruler — for measuring

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