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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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ground — a position
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pop — soda
  8. cap — a lid
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pop — to visit
  11. face — to point toward
  12. ground — the earth
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pop — music
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. face — part of the head
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cap — of ice
  24. face — to confront

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