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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bass — low music
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. press — to push
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. craft — boats
  13. bat — the animal
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mark — a trace
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bass — the fish
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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