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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: fan · mate · hide · mark · pit · degree · press · craft

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mark — a trace
  8. craft — boats
  9. mate — to breed
  10. press — a publisher
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. press — newspapers
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — a hole
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fan — to cool the air

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