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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. shower — rain
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. press — a publisher
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. press — newspapers
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. capital — money
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. press — to push
  24. capital — a city

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