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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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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: fine · tear · bay · lie · pound · degree · leaves · press

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fine — high quality
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. degree — temperature
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pound — a weight
  16. degree — an amount
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. tear — from crying
  19. press — to push
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. tear — to rip
  22. degree — from a university
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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