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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bulb — for light
  4. press — to push
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. tube — a container
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lie — to recline
  12. degree — an amount
  13. band — a music group
  14. press — a publisher
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. press — newspapers
  17. band — a ring
  18. tube — in a tire

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