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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 124 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. craft — boats
  3. prune — to trim
  4. press — newspapers
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. press — to push
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. key — the most important part
  10. prune — to trim
  11. band — a music group
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. degree — an amount
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. key — for a lock
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. key — in music
  23. press — a publisher
  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