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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. face — to confront
  3. degree — temperature
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cue — a signal
  7. last — final
  8. cue — a hint
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. last — finally
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. chip — to eat
  19. degree — an amount
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. face — to point toward
  22. degree — from a university
  23. last — to go on
  24. temple — a place of worship

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