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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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468
Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. staff — employees
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stock — goods
  12. staff — employees
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cap — a lid
  17. press — to push
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stock — shares
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. kick — in football
  24. mouse — for a computer

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