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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: bowl · cap · fall · saw · degree · bear · face · bulb

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. degree — an amount
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bear — the animal
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bear — the animal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bear — to put up with

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