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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
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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: press · cap · wound · rash · pound · degree · dip · sharp

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. press — newspapers
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pound — a weight
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rash — a series
  16. wound — an injury
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. degree — from a university
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cap — a hat
  21. press — to push
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. degree — an amount

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