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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. swing — music
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. press — a publisher
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stock — goods
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. wound — an injury
  14. staff — a stick
  15. firm — a company
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chest — of your body
  18. swing — in golf
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stock — shares
  21. staff — employees
  22. wound — an injury
  23. staff — employees
  24. temple — side of the head

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