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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. band — a music group
  3. degree — an amount
  4. board — to get on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. staff — employees
  11. face — to confront
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. band — a ring
  17. staff — a stick
  18. board — a committee
  19. staff — employees
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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