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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: firm · snap · press · sharp · pitcher · bear · temple · rule

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bear — the animal
  5. firm — decided
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rule — government
  9. press — newspapers
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. snap — to click
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. firm — a company
  17. press — to push
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rule — a law
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bear — the animal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. firm — steady

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