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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. face — to point toward
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wind — moving air
  15. board — a committee
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. degree — from a university
  21. face — to confront
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. face — part of the head

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