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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: pound · mouse · scale · bulb · rule · temple · press · face

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — to point toward
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rule — a law
  9. press — to push
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. face — to confront
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. scale — in music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. face — part of the head
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rule — government
  24. scale — size or range

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