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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.

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: roll · face · mine · rash · toast · sharp · temple · degree

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rash — a series
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. toast — bread
  7. face — to confront
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. roll — a cake
  12. degree — temperature
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rash — hasty
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. sharp — clever
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. mine — for digging
  20. roll — a list
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. face — to point toward
  24. degree — an amount

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