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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: can · face · chair · mark · sharp · current · rule · degree

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. can — a tin
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rule — a law
  7. mark — a grade
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. sharp — clever
  11. face — to confront
  12. rule — government
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. degree — temperature
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. degree — an amount
  19. can — a tin
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. current — of water
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. can — to be able to

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