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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. press — a publisher
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — an illness
  21. press — to push
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stem — a stem cell

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