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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. race — the arms race
  6. degree — an amount
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lean — thin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. press — a publisher
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. suit — to fit
  19. degree — temperature
  20. plane — a tool
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lean — to bend

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