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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: dip · ground · temple · firm · bark · nail · press · date

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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 — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. firm — a company
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. press — a publisher
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bark — to shout
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. date — the fruit
  20. firm — decided
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. firm — steady
  24. ground — crushed

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