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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. degree — from a university
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rest — what's left
  6. face — to confront
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. present — a gift
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. suit — to fit
  15. can — a tin
  16. rest — a break
  17. degree — temperature
  18. present — the time now
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rest — what's left
  21. suit — in cards
  22. face — to point toward
  23. degree — an amount
  24. present — there

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