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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: press · mouse · firm · temple · racket · present

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. press — a publisher
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. present — there
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. present — the time now
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. present — a gift
  18. firm — decided

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