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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. land — a country
  4. face — to confront
  5. land — to come down
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. land — ground
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. face — to point toward
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. root — of a plant
  22. march — the month
  23. face — part of the head
  24. temple — side of the head

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