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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. press — newspapers
  4. lie — to recline
  5. season — of the year
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stock — goods
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stock — shares
  18. drill — army training
  19. branch — a division
  20. season — in sport
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. court — for sport
  24. temple — a place of worship

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