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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fall — to drop
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fall — the season
  8. staff — employees
  9. kid — to tease
  10. press — newspapers
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. staff — employees
  15. fall — to drop
  16. staff — a stick
  17. press — to push
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. kid — child
  20. press — a publisher
  21. chair — a leader
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. arm — a part of something

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