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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: rest · mug · face · degree · lie · track · mate · suit

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. face — to confront
  2. suit — clothes
  3. degree — from a university
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mug — a face
  7. track — a song
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. suit — in cards
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mug — to rob
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rest — a break
  19. degree — temperature
  20. face — to point toward
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mate — to breed
  23. track — a path
  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