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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.

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: leaves · row · tube · temple · press · wound · current · hide

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. press — a publisher
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tube — a container
  11. row — a line
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. row — to paddle
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. press — newspapers
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. press — to push
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tube — the underground
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. current — electric
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wound — an injury

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