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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. press — to push
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. degree — from a university
  10. press — newspapers
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. degree — temperature
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. foot — a measure
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pop — music
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. calf — of the leg

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