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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cold — an illness
  5. ball — a great time
  6. press — newspapers
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. ball — a dance
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pop — to visit
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pop — soda
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. press — to push
  19. cold — not warm
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pop — music
  24. rush — to hurry

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