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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. foot — a measure
  5. season — in sport
  6. current — electric
  7. mug — a face
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. march — music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mug — a cup
  15. degree — an amount
  16. march — the month
  17. face — to confront
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mug — to rob
  20. march — the month
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. face — to point toward

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