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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. press — newspapers
  3. spring — the season
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. degree — an amount
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. press — a publisher
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. club — a group
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rush — hurry
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. spring — a coil
  18. club — for golf
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. press — to push
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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