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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. march — the month
  3. sharp — clever
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rash — a series
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. suit — clothes
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. degree — from a university
  13. march — the month
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. march — music
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. face — to confront
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ruler — a monarch

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