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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: pound · club · spring · temple · cell · snap · lie · press

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. cell — in biology
  3. press — to push
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — a group
  9. spring — of water
  10. cell — a phone
  11. press — newspapers
  12. spring — the season
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spring — a coil
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. press — a publisher
  21. snap — to click
  22. club — for dancing
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pound — a weight

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