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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. degree — an amount
  3. wake — a trail
  4. spell — magic
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. face — to confront
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. deal — to handle
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. degree — temperature
  14. spell — a short time
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. face — to point toward
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spell — letters
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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