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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: safe · lean · fine · bowl · degree · wind · dip · press

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fine — high quality
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wind — moving air
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. press — to push
  21. fine — all right
  22. press — a publisher
  23. lean — to bend
  24. dip — to dunk

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