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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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468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. game — wild animals
  7. degree — from a university
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mark — a grade
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. degree — an amount
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. can — a tin
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mark — a trace

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