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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. root — the cause
  3. tear — from crying
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. chest — a box
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lean — thin
  11. root — of a plant
  12. tear — from crying
  13. press — to push
  14. chest — of your body
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. tear — to rip
  18. root — of a word
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. firm — a company
  23. lean — to bend
  24. temple — a place of worship

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