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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: pit · fall · degree · suit · face · stem · lash · nail

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. degree — from a university
  3. fall — the season
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. degree — an amount
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stem — to come from
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

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