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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. game — wild animals
  3. degree — from a university
  4. face — part of the head
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. degree — an amount
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. degree — temperature
  11. game — a match
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. craft — boats
  17. deal — to handle
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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