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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. press — newspapers
  5. sharp — clever
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. track — to keep track
  8. kick — in football
  9. press — a publisher
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. object — to protest
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. object — an aim
  14. tear — from crying
  15. track — a song
  16. tear — to rip
  17. press — to push
  18. tear — from crying
  19. file — a line of people
  20. track — a path
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. object — a thing
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. temple — a place of worship

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