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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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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 · lie · object · temple · lash · bound · pound · stick

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. press — to push
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. press — newspapers
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. object — an aim
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. press — a publisher
  20. object — a thing
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bound — obliged
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. object — to protest

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