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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. present — a gift
  5. roll — a list
  6. present — there
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rash — a series
  10. ground — crushed
  11. press — a publisher
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. ground — a position
  14. press — to push
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. present — the time now
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. press — newspapers
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rash — hasty
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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