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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. last — to go on
  7. degree — temperature
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. last — final
  12. mate — a friend
  13. face — part of the head
  14. can — to be able to
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. staff — employees
  17. mate — to breed
  18. degree — an amount
  19. mate — a partner
  20. kick — in football
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. last — finally
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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