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

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. can — a tin
  3. degree — temperature
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. spring — the season
  7. press — newspapers
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spring — of water
  15. degree — an amount
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. can — a tin
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. spring — a coil
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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