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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bear — the animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. press — newspapers
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fall — the season
  11. last — final
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. last — to go on
  14. sharp — clever
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. press — to push
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. last — finally
  21. snap — to click
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. press — a publisher

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