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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. press — to push
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lean — thin
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. lie — to recline
  7. prune — to trim
  8. press — a publisher
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bound — certain
  11. degree — from a university
  12. lean — to bend
  13. band — a music group
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bound — tied together
  16. band — a ring
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mouse — the animal

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