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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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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: rest · row · snap · temple · press · bowl · pass · rock

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. press — a publisher
  3. row — a line
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rock — music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rest — a break
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rock — a stone
  16. press — to push
  17. snap — to click
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rest — what's left
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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