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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. degree — an amount
  3. face — to confront
  4. charge — electricity
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. charge — a price
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. face — part of the head
  11. dip — to sink
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. branch — a division
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cap — a hat
  19. charge — in control
  20. foot — a measure
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cap — of ice
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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