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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. land — ground
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — bread
  12. degree — temperature
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. vault — a safe
  15. squash — to crush
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. squash — the sport
  19. degree — from a university
  20. land — to come down
  21. rash — a series
  22. press — to push
  23. land — a country
  24. degree — an amount

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