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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: hand · temple · fork · spell · ground · present · squash · press

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. squash — the sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fork — in a road
  7. spell — a short time
  8. present — the time now
  9. hand — in cards
  10. present — a gift
  11. spell — magic
  12. present — there
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. ground — the earth
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ground — a position
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. squash — to crush
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. hand — help
  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