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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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Word bank
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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: temple · press · hide · rest · pitch · file

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rest — what's left
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rest — what's left
  10. press — to push
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rest — a break
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pitch — completely
  15. file — a document
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. file — a tool

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