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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 120 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: fall · court · press · lie · staff · sharp · mark · degree

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. press — newspapers
  3. court — of law
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mark — a trace
  8. court — of a king
  9. fall — the season
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. staff — employees
  12. mark — a grade
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fall — to drop
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. court — for sport
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. press — to push
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fall — to drop
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lie — to recline
  24. sharp — exactly

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