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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 · march · net · rest · degree · leaves · mouse · key

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

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

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