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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · march · net · rest · degree · leaves

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. march — the month
  3. net — for catching
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. face — to confront
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rest — what's left
  8. face — part of the head
  9. march — music
  10. net — in sport
  11. rest — what's left
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. face — to point toward
  14. march — the month
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rest — a break
  17. net — after costs
  18. leaves — lets stay

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