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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. court — for sport
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spring — the season
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rash — a series
  12. spring — of water
  13. court — of a king
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rash — hasty
  16. saw — the tool
  17. press — to push
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. court — of law
  20. saw — the tool
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bay — a horse colour

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