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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. last — final
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fall — the season
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. key — in music
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. key — for a lock
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. key — the most important part
  24. dip — to sink

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