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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: last · bark · pound · pass · charge · temple · press · swing

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. charge — a price
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. press — a publisher
  7. swing — in golf
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. charge — in control
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pound — a weight
  13. press — newspapers
  14. charge — electricity
  15. last — to go on
  16. pass — a permit
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. swing — music
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. press — to push
  23. bark — to shout
  24. temple — side of the head

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