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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · face · suit · degree · march · wound · mate · key

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mate — to breed
  6. face — to confront
  7. key — in music
  8. degree — an amount
  9. face — part of the head
  10. degree — temperature
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mate — a friend
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mate — a partner
  18. face — to point toward
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wound — an injury
  21. key — the most important part
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. march — music

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