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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. press — to push
  11. degree — temperature
  12. lean — thin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. press — newspapers
  18. degree — from a university

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