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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. kid — to tease
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. press — a publisher
  6. current — happening now
  7. chest — a box
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. press — to push
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. current — electric
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chest — of your body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. current — of water
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. press — newspapers
  22. kid — child
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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