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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: rock · lie · wave · cell · face · degree · present · suit

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. suit — clothes
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. present — there
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cell — in biology
  12. rock — music
  13. face — part of the head
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rock — a stone
  16. degree — from a university
  17. cell — a phone
  18. present — a gift
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. present — the time now

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