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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. game — wild animals
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. press — to push
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. press — newspapers
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. press — a publisher
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. game — a match
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bowl — to roll

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