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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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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. press — a publisher
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pop — music
  6. squash — to crush
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mate — a partner
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mate — a friend
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. squash — the sport
  19. press — to push
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. dip — to sink

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