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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: sharp · temple · dip · tear · press · tube · firm · swing

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. firm — steady
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. swing — to play on
  6. tube — a container
  7. dip — to sink
  8. sharp — clever
  9. tear — to rip
  10. press — to push
  11. firm — a company
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. tear — from crying
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. swing — music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. firm — decided
  22. tube — the underground
  23. swing — in golf
  24. temple — side of the head

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