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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. sharp — clever
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. perch — the fish
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. press — a publisher
  19. kid — to tease
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. kid — child
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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