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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 120 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: wake · march · trunk · stand · degree · face · ball · kick

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. march — the month
  3. ball — a dance
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stand — to bear
  7. degree — temperature
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. march — the month
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. face — to confront
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. degree — from a university
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. face — part of the head
  21. march — music
  22. degree — an amount
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. kick — a thrill

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