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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — a position
  11. press — to push
  12. rule — government
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bulb — for light
  15. press — a publisher
  16. row — a line
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bulb — for light
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rule — a law

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