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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. degree — temperature
  3. press — a publisher
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. roll — a list
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. degree — from a university
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. face — to confront
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rule — a law
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bulb — for light
  20. roll — a cake
  21. rule — government
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — an amount
  24. toast — bread

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