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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: press · temple · rule · drill · scale · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rule — a law
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — to push
  7. scale — in music
  8. drill — army training
  9. bank — for money
  10. rule — government
  11. drill — the tool
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bank — for money
  17. press — a publisher
  18. drill — a practice

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