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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. row — to paddle
  3. degree — an amount
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fine — high quality
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. squash — the sport
  11. press — to push
  12. degree — from a university
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. press — a publisher
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. press — newspapers
  21. degree — temperature
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. row — a line
  24. squash — to crush

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