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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. press — newspapers
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. degree — temperature
  7. band — a ring
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. band — a music group
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. degree — from a university
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. degree — an amount
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lean — thin
  20. press — to push
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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