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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. degree — from a university
  4. face — to point toward
  5. degree — an amount
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. season — in sport
  8. suit — to fit
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rest — what's left
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lean — to bend
  13. suit — clothes
  14. season — of the year
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. lean — thin
  17. ball — a dance
  18. face — to confront
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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