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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mug — a face
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mug — a cup
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. track — a song
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. press — newspapers
  17. track — to keep track
  18. press — to push
  19. track — a path
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cell — a phone
  22. degree — an amount
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wave — of the sea

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