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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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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: fork · bowl · temple · band · patient · press

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. press — a publisher
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. press — newspapers
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. band — a music group
  10. press — to push
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. band — a ring
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fork — in a road
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fork — to eat with

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