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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: sharp · hide · temple · roll · row · degree · lie · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. roll — a cake
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lie — to recline
  6. roll — a list
  7. sharp — clever
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. degree — temperature
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — a line
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. row — to paddle
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. degree — an amount
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. row — a quarrel

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