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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mate — a partner
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — low music
  16. mate — a friend
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. face — to confront
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bass — the fish
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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