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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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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: race · stand · present · hide · face · charge · degree · pound

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. charge — electricity
  5. present — the time now
  6. charge — a price
  7. degree — an amount
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. charge — in control
  11. pound — a weight
  12. race — the arms race
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. degree — temperature
  17. present — there
  18. race — humankind
  19. present — a gift
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. race — a contest
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stand — on your feet
  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