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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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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: straw · safe · track · rest · face · degree · wake · can

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. face — to confront
  3. rest — what's left
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. track — a path
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. can — a tin
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rest — a break
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. degree — an amount
  13. track — a song
  14. can — to be able to
  15. track — to keep track
  16. degree — from a university
  17. can — a tin
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — to point toward
  23. straw — dry grass
  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