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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. squash — the sport
  6. deal — to handle
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. press — to push
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. squash — to crush
  12. press — a publisher
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. press — newspapers
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pit — in a race
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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