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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. net — after costs
  3. face — part of the head
  4. net — for catching
  5. fall — to drop
  6. scale — size or range
  7. degree — temperature
  8. net — in sport
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. toast — bread
  16. fall — to drop
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. scale — in music

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