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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. face — part of the head
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. face — to point toward
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bear — the animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rest — what's left
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pass — a permit
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rest — a break
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. face — to confront
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. deal — an agreement

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