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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pitch — completely
  3. degree — an amount
  4. fall — to drop
  5. degree — from a university
  6. press — to push
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. file — a document
  9. kick — in football
  10. press — newspapers
  11. degree — temperature
  12. firm — a company
  13. lean — to bend
  14. file — a line of people
  15. firm — steady
  16. press — a publisher
  17. firm — decided
  18. fall — to drop
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lean — thin
  24. fall — the season

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