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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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. club — for golf
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. press — to push
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fall — the season
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. kid — child
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. club — for dancing
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. club — a group
  18. press — a publisher
  19. branch — a division
  20. press — newspapers
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fall — to drop
  23. kid — to tease
  24. stem — to come from

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