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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cap — of ice
  4. degree — temperature
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. press — newspapers
  7. degree — an amount
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cap — a hat
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. degree — from a university
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. press — to push
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cap — a lid

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