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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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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. charge — electricity
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rest — a break
  5. field — for sport
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. field — farmland
  8. prune — to trim
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pop — to visit
  11. press — a publisher
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. charge — a price
  14. field — a subject
  15. prune — to trim
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pop — music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. charge — in control
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pop — soda

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