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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. object — an aim
  3. kick — in football
  4. shower — rain
  5. press — a publisher
  6. row — to paddle
  7. object — to protest
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. spell — magic
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. row — a line
  13. net — after costs
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. net — in sport
  16. spell — letters
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. object — a thing
  19. spell — a short time
  20. degree — an amount
  21. shower — to wash
  22. degree — temperature
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. net — for catching

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