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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 124 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: cell · press · saw · temple · club · present

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. present — there
  4. cell — in biology
  5. present — a gift
  6. club — for dancing
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cell — a phone
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. present — the time now
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. club — a group
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. club — for golf
  18. press — a publisher

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