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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fine — high quality
  5. press — newspapers
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. prune — to trim
  10. press — to push
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — to trim
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pitch — completely
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fine — all right
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stem — to come from

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