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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. degree — an amount
  3. face — to confront
  4. march — music
  5. suit — to fit
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. face — part of the head
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bound — tied together
  15. suit — clothes
  16. face — to point toward
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. march — the month
  20. squash — to crush
  21. degree — temperature
  22. squash — the sport
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bowl — a football final

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