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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cold — an illness
  8. net — in sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — not warm
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. net — for catching
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. press — to push
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pop — to visit
  23. net — after costs
  24. press — a publisher

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