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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fall — the season
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. face — to confront
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mug — a face
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mug — a cup
  16. degree — from a university
  17. capital — a city
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mug — to rob
  22. toast — bread
  23. capital — money
  24. mark — a grade

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