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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. firm — steady
  3. swing — in golf
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. press — newspapers
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. suit — clothes
  10. spring — the season
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. firm — a company
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. hand — in cards
  18. suit — in cards
  19. press — to push
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mark — a trace
  22. firm — decided
  23. press — a publisher
  24. suit — to fit

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