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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rash — hasty
  6. degree — an amount
  7. face — to point toward
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bore — to drill
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rash — a series
  15. net — for catching
  16. march — the month
  17. face — to confront
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. degree — from a university
  24. suit — clothes

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