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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fall — to drop
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. press — newspapers
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fall — the season
  10. press — to push
  11. kick — in football
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bank — of a river
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bank — for money
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rest — a break
  20. bank — for money
  21. ground — a position
  22. rest — what's left
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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