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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. band — a ring
  7. press — newspapers
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. object — a thing
  11. band — a music group
  12. press — to push
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. root — the cause
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. root — of a word
  17. object — an aim
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. object — to protest
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. press — a publisher
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fine — all right

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