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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bound — obliged
  5. degree — temperature
  6. foot — a measure
  7. degree — an amount
  8. content — the amount
  9. rest — what's left
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. content — happy
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. press — to push
  15. rest — what's left
  16. press — newspapers
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bound — certain
  19. rest — a break
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — bread
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wave — with your hand

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