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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. press — to push
  3. pop — soda
  4. bank — for money
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bank — for money
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stem — to come from
  10. season — of the year
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pop — music
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bat — the animal
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bat — in an idiom

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