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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lean — to bend
  5. present — the time now
  6. file — a tool
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fall — to drop
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. snap — to click
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lean — thin
  18. fall — the season
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fall — to drop
  21. file — a document
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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