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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: degree · club · mug · face · tear · coach · cabinet · content

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mug — a face
  3. club — for golf
  4. mug — a cup
  5. tear — to rip
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tear — from crying
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. tear — from crying
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. face — to confront
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mug — to rob
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. degree — an amount
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. degree — temperature
  24. club — a group

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