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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. kick — in football
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. press — newspapers

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