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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. face — to confront
  3. degree — an amount
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. club — for golf
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pitch — completely
  18. club — a group
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. club — for dancing
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mouse — the animal

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