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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.

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: rule · kid · hide · press · degree · season · sharp · key

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rule — a law
  5. key — for a lock
  6. sharp — clever
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rule — government
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. key — the most important part
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. season — of the year
  16. press — a publisher
  17. kid — to tease
  18. key — in music
  19. press — to push
  20. season — in sport
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. degree — an amount
  24. hide — animal skin

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