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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mark — a grade
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rash — a series
  8. bulb — for light
  9. degree — an amount
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. object — a thing
  12. degree — temperature
  13. object — to protest
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mark — a trace
  16. squash — to crush
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bulb — for light
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. rash — hasty
  23. object — an aim
  24. bulb — of a plant

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