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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. can — a tin
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lie — to recline
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bat — the animal
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. can — a tin
  15. pit — in a race
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. plane — a tool
  18. press — newspapers
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. press — to push

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