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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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. degree — an amount
  4. net — in sport
  5. degree — temperature
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. net — after costs
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. degree — from a university
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. net — for catching
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bat — the animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — a trace

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