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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
468
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 · lie · key · bowl · swing · degree · lean · shower

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. lean — thin
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. face — to confront
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lean — to bend
  7. swing — music
  8. degree — an amount
  9. swing — to play on
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lie — to recline
  12. key — the most important part
  13. face — to point toward
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. shower — rain
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. swing — in golf
  20. key — in music
  21. face — part of the head
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bowl — a dish

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