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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rash — hasty
  3. press — to push
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. key — in music
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. press — newspapers
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. plane — a tool
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rash — a series

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