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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 · cell · pop · row · press · calf

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. press — a publisher
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pop — music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. press — to push
  15. row — a line
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal

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