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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. press — to push
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. press — a publisher
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. press — newspapers
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. face — part of the head
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pitch — completely
  17. degree — from a university
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. snap — to click
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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