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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mate — to breed
  7. press — to push
  8. field — for sport
  9. tube — the underground
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. object — a thing
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. field — a subject
  17. object — an aim
  18. mate — a partner
  19. tube — a container
  20. mate — a friend
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. object — to protest
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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