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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: rush · ground · pop · degree · wax · press · present · dip

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wax — to grow
  4. ground — the earth
  5. press — to push
  6. ground — a position
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. present — a gift
  9. ground — crushed
  10. degree — an amount
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pop — soda
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. present — the time now
  18. pop — music
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rush — hurry
  23. press — a publisher
  24. present — there

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