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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 · hide · current · deal · dip · bowl · capital · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. press — a publisher
  4. capital — a city
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. current — of water
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. current — happening now
  11. deal — to handle
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. current — electric
  19. press — newspapers
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. capital — money
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. dip — to sink
  24. press — to push

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