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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. press — newspapers
  5. can — a tin
  6. pop — to visit
  7. can — to be able to
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. press — to push
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pop — music
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. can — a tin
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pound — a weight

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