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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. plane — a tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bulb — for light
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — newspapers
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. root — of a plant
  14. squash — the sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. root — the cause
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. root — of a word
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. squash — the vegetable

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