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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bark — to shout
  4. clip — for paper
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stand — to bear
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. press — a publisher
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. clip — a video
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. clip — to cut
  18. press — to push

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