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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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 — an amount
  2. board — to get on
  3. firm — steady
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fork — in a road
  6. board — a committee
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. degree — temperature
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. degree — from a university
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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