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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · cabinet · hide · march · press · cold

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. press — newspapers
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. march — the month
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. press — to push
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. march — the month
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. march — music

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