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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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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: rock · bay · stem · rest · pass · press · mouse · temple

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. press — to push
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rock — music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. press — newspapers
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rest — a break
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rock — a stone
  24. pass — to succeed

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