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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. firm — a company
  4. degree — temperature
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. firm — steady
  9. cap — a hat
  10. press — to push
  11. firm — decided
  12. cap — of ice
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. scale — in music
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. degree — an amount
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cap — a lid
  24. degree — from a university

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