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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. key — for a lock
  3. face — to confront
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. staff — employees
  8. face — part of the head
  9. band — a ring
  10. degree — an amount
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — from a university
  14. band — a music group
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. staff — employees
  17. tube — a container
  18. key — the most important part
  19. tube — the underground
  20. face — to point toward
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. key — in music

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