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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: pit · tear · temple · plane · chair · press

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. press — newspapers
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. chair — a leader
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pit — in a race
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. plane — a tool
  18. tear — from crying

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