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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. prune — to trim
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — to trim
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rest — a break
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rest — what's left
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chip — in a computer

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