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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: hand · press · rock · foot · land · mug · bark · temple

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. bark — to shout
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mug — a face
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mug — to rob
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. foot — a measure
  12. land — a country
  13. rock — a stone
  14. land — to come down
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. press — to push
  17. mug — a cup
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rock — music
  21. land — ground
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. hand — help
  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