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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. chip — for betting
  10. present — the time now
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. swing — music
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. press — to push
  19. swing — in golf
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. face — to confront
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. press — newspapers

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