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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rest — a break
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. kick — in football
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. charge — a price
  11. degree — from a university
  12. press — to push
  13. charge — in control
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rest — what's left
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. degree — an amount
  21. charge — electricity
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. jam — in traffic

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