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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rash — a series
  4. cue — a hint
  5. spell — magic
  6. wind — moving air
  7. degree — an amount
  8. roll — a cake
  9. spell — letters
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. roll — a list
  13. wind — moving air
  14. degree — temperature
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. face — to confront
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rash — hasty
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cue — for pool

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