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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. track — a song
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. fall — the season
  5. press — to push
  6. spring — of water
  7. track — a path
  8. spring — a coil
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. press — newspapers
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. track — to keep track
  18. press — a publisher
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. foot — a measure
  21. branch — a division
  22. spring — the season
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fall — to drop

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