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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: bay · degree · wound · face · lie · rash · hide · net

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rash — a series
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — in sport
  7. rash — hasty
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. face — to point toward
  11. degree — an amount
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. face — to confront
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wound — an injury

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