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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lie — to recline
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. row — a line
  9. can — a tin
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — a tin
  15. degree — from a university
  16. wound — an injury
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. foot — a measure
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. press — a publisher

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