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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. key — in music
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mine — for digging
  8. staff — a stick
  9. press — to push
  10. key — the most important part
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rock — a stone
  13. staff — employees
  14. degree — an amount
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. degree — temperature
  17. staff — employees
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rock — music
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. press — newspapers
  22. degree — from a university
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — for a lock

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