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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: hand · press · foot · temple · stick · stem · dip · kick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. hand — help
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. hand — in cards
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. kick — in football
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. press — to push
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kick — with a leg

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