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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.

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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: mug · lean · kick · stem · race · press · temple · bound

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mug — a face
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mug — a cup
  6. press — newspapers
  7. kick — in football
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mug — to rob
  11. race — humankind
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. race — the arms race
  18. press — to push
  19. bound — certain
  20. stem — to come from
  21. press — a publisher
  22. race — a contest
  23. lean — thin
  24. bound — tied together

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