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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 · temple · pass · lie · press · capital · pit · field

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. press — to push
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. press — a publisher
  5. field — for sport
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. field — farmland
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pass — a permit
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. field — a subject
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. capital — a city
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pit — a hole
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lie — an untruth

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