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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. press — newspapers
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. net — after costs
  9. press — a publisher
  10. capital — a city
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pound — a weight
  14. capital — money
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. staff — a stick
  21. press — to push
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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