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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. face — to confront
  6. charge — a price
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. degree — temperature
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. saw — the tool
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. saw — the tool
  16. degree — from a university
  17. race — a contest
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. net — for catching
  22. degree — an amount
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. face — to point toward

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