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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: swing · stand · cue · object · root · press · temple · bear

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bear — the animal
  4. swing — in golf
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — a publisher
  7. object — a thing
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. root — the cause
  13. object — an aim
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cue — for pool
  16. root — of a word
  17. swing — music
  18. cue — a hint
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. press — newspapers
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. object — to protest
  24. bear — the animal

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