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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. staff — employees
  2. press — a publisher
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. staff — employees
  7. kick — in football
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. press — to push
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. press — newspapers
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. staff — a stick
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bore — to tire
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bore — to drill
  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