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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. press — newspapers
  5. firm — a company
  6. shower — rain
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. sharp — clever
  10. spring — the season
  11. firm — steady
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. face — to point toward
  16. shower — to wash
  17. spring — a coil
  18. firm — decided
  19. press — to push
  20. face — to confront
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. spring — of water
  23. face — part of the head
  24. arm — a part of something

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