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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: cap · press · rush · degree · nail · chest · lie · tube

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — a lid
  6. chest — a box
  7. degree — from a university
  8. tube — the underground
  9. press — to push
  10. chest — of your body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lie — to recline
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. press — a publisher

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