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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rash — a series
  5. face — to point toward
  6. degree — temperature
  7. face — part of the head
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. board — a committee
  12. content — happy
  13. degree — an amount
  14. face — to confront
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. board — to get on
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. content — the amount
  24. rash — hasty

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