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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bore — to tire
  3. degree — temperature
  4. face — part of the head
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. degree — an amount
  7. swing — music
  8. degree — from a university
  9. swing — to play on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. firm — a company
  12. swing — in golf
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bore — to drill
  15. firm — steady
  16. club — a group
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — to confront
  20. club — for dancing
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. firm — decided

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