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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 116 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: wake · degree · spell · board · face · suit · staff · ball

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. staff — a stick
  3. suit — in cards
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wake — a trail
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. board — a committee
  9. spell — letters
  10. board — to get on
  11. ball — a dance
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. ball — a great time
  21. degree — an amount
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. degree — from a university

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