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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. squash — to crush
  3. press — a publisher
  4. lean — thin
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. degree — from a university
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. press — to push
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wound — an injury
  13. press — newspapers
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. degree — an amount
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. cabinet — ministers

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