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

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. saw — the tool
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. saw — the tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. press — to push
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. press — a publisher
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. press — newspapers
  18. temple — a place of worship

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