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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 120 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: face · hide · shower · wind · cue · pit · degree · stand

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wind — moving air
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cue — for pool
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cue — a hint
  9. face — to confront
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pit — a hole
  13. face — to point toward
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. shower — rain
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — from a university
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. hide — animal skin

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