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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
468
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 · pitcher · plane · dip · stick · hand · press · mug

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hand — help
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. press — to push
  10. mug — to rob
  11. press — newspapers
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mug — a face
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. hand — in cards
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mug — a cup

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