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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. face — to confront
  4. rest — what's left
  5. degree — from a university
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. degree — temperature
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. face — to point toward
  13. key — in music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rest — a break
  17. lean — thin
  18. face — part of the head
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cap — a hat

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