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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. degree — an amount
  3. kid — to tease
  4. face — to point toward
  5. press — to push
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. face — to confront
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kid — child
  14. lean — to bend
  15. face — part of the head
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. degree — from a university
  19. lean — thin
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fine — all right
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. press — newspapers

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