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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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468
Word bank
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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. court — of law
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fall — the season
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. court — for sport
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. press — to push
  22. court — of a king
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bay — a horse colour

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