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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. press — a publisher
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. swing — to play on
  8. degree — from a university
  9. dip — to sink
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pop — music
  12. press — to push
  13. swing — music
  14. degree — an amount
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pop — soda
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lie — to recline
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mine — for digging

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