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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 120 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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. chest — a box
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. press — newspapers
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cap — a lid
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. lean — thin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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