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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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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 · spell · lie · shower · present · bulb · suit · degree

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. face — to confront
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. degree — an amount
  6. shower — to wash
  7. suit — in cards
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. present — there
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. present — the time now
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — from a university
  14. suit — to fit
  15. face — to point toward
  16. shower — rain
  17. present — a gift
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bulb — for light
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. face — part of the head
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. degree — temperature
  24. spell — a short time

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