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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. press — newspapers
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bat — the animal
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bass — low music
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bass — the fish
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. current — happening now
  17. lean — to bend
  18. track — a song
  19. press — to push
  20. track — a path
  21. current — of water
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. current — electric
  24. dip — to sink

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