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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 120 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. press — to push
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. press — a publisher
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. degree — from a university
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. degree — an amount
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stock — shares
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. stock — goods
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wound — an injury
  24. degree — temperature

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