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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. present — the time now
  3. press — to push
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. press — a publisher
  11. present — there
  12. face — to confront
  13. ball — a great time
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ball — a dance
  17. press — newspapers
  18. face — to point toward
  19. present — a gift
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bark — to shout
  24. face — part of the head

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