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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 · deal · perch · cap · row · pass · mark · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cap — a lid
  5. row — a line
  6. press — a publisher
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cap — of ice
  9. deal — to handle
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. perch — the fish
  13. press — to push
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cap — a hat
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pass — a permit

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