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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mate — a partner
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rest — what's left
  6. press — to push
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. file — a document
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. file — a line of people
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. file — a tool
  19. rest — a break
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bulb — for light
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bulb — for light

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