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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: saw · board · can · calf · face · degree · squash · march

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. face — to confront
  4. board — to get on
  5. face — part of the head
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. can — to be able to
  8. degree — from a university
  9. saw — the tool
  10. face — to point toward
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. squash — the sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. saw — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. board — a committee
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. squash — to crush
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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