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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. suit — in cards
  3. degree — temperature
  4. press — a publisher
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. press — to push
  9. lie — to recline
  10. season — in sport
  11. key — the most important part
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mug — to rob
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mug — a face
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. suit — to fit
  18. row — a line
  19. mug — a cup
  20. key — for a lock
  21. press — newspapers
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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