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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.

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: ground · firm · hide · mate · temple · hand · ruler · press

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ground — crushed
  4. hand — help
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — to push
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. press — a publisher
  10. firm — decided
  11. mate — a partner
  12. firm — a company
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mate — to breed
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. firm — steady
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hand — part of the body

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