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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. deal — to handle
  3. squash — to crush
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. press — newspapers
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. kid — to tease
  11. degree — from a university
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. degree — temperature
  14. kid — child
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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