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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: bear · stick · press · temple · cabinet · racket · lean · net

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bear — the animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bear — the animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. lean — to bend
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lean — thin
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. net — after costs
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cabinet — ministers

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