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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · race · rest · bulb · press · temple

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. kid — to tease
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rest — what's left
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bulb — for light
  10. race — humankind
  11. kid — child
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rest — a break
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. rest — what's left
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bulb — of a plant

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