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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. press — newspapers
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. degree — from a university
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mark — a grade
  9. spell — letters
  10. degree — an amount
  11. squash — to crush
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. press — to push
  14. cold — not warm
  15. lie — to recline
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cold — an illness
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. spell — magic

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