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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. degree — from a university
  3. key — in music
  4. wake — a trail
  5. degree — temperature
  6. firm — decided
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. key — the most important part
  14. kid — to tease
  15. firm — a company
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. kid — child
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. degree — an amount
  23. firm — steady
  24. key — for a lock

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