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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 my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. face — part of the head
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. degree — from a university
  8. lie — to recline
  9. spell — letters
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. object — an aim
  12. face — to point toward
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. object — a thing
  17. degree — an amount
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. spell — a short time
  22. object — to protest
  23. spell — magic
  24. face — to confront

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