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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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468
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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. degree — an amount
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. dip — to sink
  9. degree — from a university
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fine — all right
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. press — a publisher
  22. degree — temperature
  23. press — to push
  24. game — wild animals

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