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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. branch — a division
  4. rash — a series
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. press — a publisher
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. degree — temperature
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. degree — an amount
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. rash — on the skin

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