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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chest — a box
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. press — newspapers
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. scale — size or range
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. scale — in music
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. press — to push
  18. chest — of your body
  19. last — finally
  20. present — a gift
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. press — a publisher
  24. present — the time now

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