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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rash — a series
  5. spell — a short time
  6. press — to push
  7. spring — a coil
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spring — the season
  10. snap — to click
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. spring — of water
  16. spell — magic
  17. rash — hasty
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spell — letters
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cabinet — ministers

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