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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fork — in a road
  3. face — to point toward
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. degree — temperature
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. net — after costs
  12. tear — from crying
  13. degree — an amount
  14. tear — to rip
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. net — in sport
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to confront

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