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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. degree — temperature
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — an amount
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. can — a tin
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. can — to be able to
  15. face — to confront
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. can — a tin
  19. row — to paddle
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. degree — from a university
  23. face — to point toward
  24. row — a line

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