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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · rest · mug · temple · file · press · pitcher · dip

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rest — a break
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. press — to push
  6. file — a tool
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rest — what's left
  9. dip — to sink
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mug — a face
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mug — to rob
  18. file — a line of people
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. file — a document
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rest — what's left
  24. temple — side of the head

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