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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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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: press · temple · dip · tube · rash · jam · lean · scale

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. tube — the underground
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. dip — to sink
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rash — a series
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. scale — in music
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rash — hasty
  20. press — newspapers
  21. tube — a container
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. press — a publisher

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