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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. charge — in control
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. degree — temperature
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. staff — employees
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. face — to confront
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. degree — an amount
  19. face — to point toward
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. degree — from a university
  22. cold — an illness
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cold — not warm

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