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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.

Make a worksheet

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: drill · press · temple · pop · bear · craft · game · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. press — a publisher
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. drill — army training
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pop — music
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. press — to push
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pop — to visit
  18. drill — a practice
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bear — the animal
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pop — soda
  24. craft — a handicraft

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