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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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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: lie · bay · degree · dip · board · racket · toast · face

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. degree — from a university
  3. dip — to sink
  4. face — to confront
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. face — part of the head
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. board — a committee
  9. degree — an amount
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. degree — temperature
  16. board — to get on
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. lie — to recline
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. toast — bread

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