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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rest — what's left
  3. press — to push
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — to handle
  6. degree — an amount
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mine — for digging
  9. degree — temperature
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. press — newspapers
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rest — a break
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. dip — to sink

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