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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: lash · ball · degree · suit · face · staff · spell · bound

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. suit — clothes
  3. spell — magic
  4. face — to confront
  5. degree — temperature
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. degree — from a university
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bound — tied together
  13. spell — letters
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bound — certain
  16. suit — to fit
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. suit — in cards
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — an amount
  21. face — to point toward
  22. spell — a short time
  23. staff — employees
  24. bound — obliged

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