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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 120 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.

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: fall · mate · current · pop · lash · press · temple · fine

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. press — a publisher
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fall — the season
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fall — to drop
  8. press — newspapers
  9. current — of water
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pop — music
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. current — happening now
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pop — to visit
  17. press — to push
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pop — soda
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fine — all right
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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