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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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. face — to confront
  3. net — for catching
  4. face — part of the head
  5. lie — to recline
  6. firm — steady
  7. net — after costs
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. net — in sport
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. season — of the year
  13. firm — decided
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. firm — a company
  17. season — in sport
  18. degree — an amount
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. degree — from a university

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