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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fall — to drop
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. staff — employees
  6. degree — from a university
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fall — the season
  11. saw — the tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. saw — the tool
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. lean — to bend
  16. degree — an amount
  17. staff — employees
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rock — music
  20. lean — thin
  21. face — part of the head
  22. staff — a stick
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rock — to move gently

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