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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. track — a song
  3. press — a publisher
  4. present — a gift
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. present — the time now
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wax — to grow
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. present — there
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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