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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. degree — temperature
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. capital — a city
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mug — to rob
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. face — to confront
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. capital — money
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mug — a face
  17. dip — to sink
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mug — a cup
  20. scale — size or range
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. face — part of the head

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