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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. present — the time now
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. degree — from a university
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. plane — a tool
  7. object — a thing
  8. suit — clothes
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mark — a grade
  11. present — a gift
  12. suit — in cards
  13. object — to protest
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. suit — to fit
  17. present — there
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. object — an aim
  20. face — to confront
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mark — a trace

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