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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bass — the fish
  3. march — music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. face — to point toward
  6. suit — to fit
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bank — for money
  9. face — to confront
  10. degree — an amount
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — the month
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. march — the month
  18. bank — of a river
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bass — low music
  24. suit — clothes

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