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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bound — certain
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mate — a partner
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. face — to confront
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mug — a cup
  24. degree — an amount

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