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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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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: rest · press · ruler · degree · vault · leaves · foot · rock

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. degree — from a university
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. vault — a safe
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. press — a publisher
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rest — what's left
  19. degree — temperature
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rock — music
  23. foot — a measure
  24. ruler — for measuring

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