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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. press — newspapers
  5. land — ground
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. land — a country
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. press — a publisher
  21. land — to come down
  22. race — humankind
  23. snap — to click
  24. press — to push

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