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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. degree — an amount
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. face — part of the head
  5. degree — temperature
  6. firm — steady
  7. press — to push
  8. snap — to click
  9. face — to point toward
  10. firm — a company
  11. chest — of your body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bear — the animal
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. press — newspapers
  16. face — to confront
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. press — a publisher
  20. firm — decided
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chest — of your body

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