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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
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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: court · firm · pass · straw · degree · prune · sharp · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. degree — temperature
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. court — of a king
  15. degree — from a university
  16. firm — decided
  17. prune — to trim
  18. sharp — clever
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. face — to confront
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pass — a permit

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