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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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Word bank
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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. press — to push
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bore — to drill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bear — to put up with

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