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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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Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. staff — employees
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bound — tied together
  6. degree — from a university
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mug — a face
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wind — moving air
  11. degree — temperature
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. press — a publisher
  14. staff — employees
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bound — obliged
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bound — certain
  20. mug — to rob
  21. staff — a stick
  22. degree — an amount
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. press — newspapers

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