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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. present — the time now
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. sharp — clever
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — to recline
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. present — a gift
  11. degree — from a university
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. present — there
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. degree — temperature
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. face — to confront
  23. staff — a stick
  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