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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. kick — in football
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. face — to confront
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ball — a dance
  14. face — part of the head
  15. squash — to crush
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bark — to shout
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bark — of a tree

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