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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · degree · current · suit · press · spell · staff · mine

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. press — to push
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spell — magic
  5. lie — to recline
  6. degree — temperature
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mine — for digging
  11. suit — to fit
  12. degree — an amount
  13. current — electric
  14. staff — a stick
  15. spell — a short time
  16. current — of water
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. spell — letters
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. current — happening now

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