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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. firm — a company
  3. mug — a face
  4. cold — not warm
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. capital — a city
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. field — for sport
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. firm — decided
  15. mug — a cup
  16. field — farmland
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cold — an illness
  20. field — a subject
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. capital — money
  23. firm — steady
  24. capital — a big letter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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