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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 120 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. fall — the season
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bear — the animal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rash — a series
  10. press — a publisher
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. press — to push
  24. bass — low music

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