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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · staff · cell · press · wax · fan · pass · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. 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. spell — magic
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. press — to push
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. staff — a stick
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cell — a phone
  12. staff — employees
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. spell — letters
  15. pass — a permit
  16. press — newspapers
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spell — a short time
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. staff — employees
  22. cell — in biology
  23. wax — to grow
  24. 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