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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ground — a position
  7. face — to confront
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cue — a hint
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. degree — an amount
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rash — a series
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. ground — crushed
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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