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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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 — a place of worship
  3. field — farmland
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. firm — decided
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. field — for sport
  12. firm — a company
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cell — a phone
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. pit — in a race
  20. press — to push
  21. field — a subject
  22. cell — in biology
  23. firm — steady
  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