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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 120 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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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: mate · cue · fork · temple · face · staff · press · kid

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fork — in a road
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cue — a signal
  6. face — to confront
  7. cue — a hint
  8. press — newspapers
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mate — to breed
  11. press — to push
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mate — a friend
  16. staff — a stick
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. staff — employees
  20. kid — to tease
  21. staff — employees
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mate — a partner
  24. press — a publisher

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