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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. degree — temperature
  5. tube — the underground
  6. degree — from a university
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. face — to point toward
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mark — a grade
  12. tube — a container
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mark — a trace
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. face — to confront
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. hand — help
  24. face — part of the head

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