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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. 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. cap — a lid
  2. degree — temperature
  3. press — to push
  4. degree — an amount
  5. cap — of ice
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rash — a series
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rash — hasty
  20. spell — letters
  21. press — a publisher
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. 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