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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.

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: tube · temple · season · press · fall · arm · band · bass

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. band — a ring
  3. fall — the season
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. band — a music group
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bass — low music
  13. season — in sport
  14. press — a publisher
  15. season — of the year
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bass — the fish
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bass — the instrument

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