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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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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: degree · fine · row · temple · press · kick · squash · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. row — a line
  4. press — newspapers
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. degree — from a university
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pass — a permit
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. degree — temperature
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. press — a publisher
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. degree — an amount
  20. row — to paddle
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. press — to push

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