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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: perch · press · temple · leaves · pit · coach · current · ground

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pit — a hole
  4. ground — crushed
  5. press — a publisher
  6. current — happening now
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. ground — a position
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. perch — the fish
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pit — in a race
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ground — the earth
  23. press — newspapers
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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