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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.

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: can · press · dip · rock · hand · temple · wound · cell

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. hand — in cards
  8. press — a publisher
  9. can — a tin
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. can — to be able to
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hand — help
  17. press — newspapers
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rock — music
  20. press — to push
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. can — a tin

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