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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: press · lean · shower · temple · rock · mug · lie · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. press — to push
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rock — music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spring — of water
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. press — a publisher
  19. shower — to wash
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rock — a stone
  24. lean — to bend

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