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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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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: rule · face · key · degree · dip · bat · cap · lash

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rule — government
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rule — a law
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. key — the most important part
  17. face — to confront
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. degree — from a university
  23. key — in music
  24. bat — the animal

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