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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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 — to push
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fine — high quality
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fine — all right
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. present — the time now
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. shower — rain
  21. present — there
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. press — newspapers
  24. present — a gift

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