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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.

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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wake — a trail
  4. key — the most important part
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. press — to push
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. press — a publisher
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. object — a thing
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. object — to protest
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. object — an aim
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. press — newspapers
  24. squash — to crush

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