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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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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: ground · stem · stand · hand · temple · kid · object · press

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. hand — in cards
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stem — to come from
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. object — a thing
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ground — crushed
  15. press — newspapers
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. press — to push
  19. ground — a position
  20. kid — child
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. hand — help
  24. stand — on your feet

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