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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rest — what's left
  4. degree — temperature
  5. wake — a trail
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mark — a grade
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. press — to push
  10. degree — an amount
  11. press — a publisher
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rest — a break
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rest — what's left
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mark — to pay attention

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