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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: fan · net · season · press · temple · arm · stem · perch

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. net — for catching
  3. season — in sport
  4. press — a publisher
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. net — after costs
  12. press — to push
  13. season — of the year
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. net — in sport
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. perch — the fish
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stem — to come from
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fan — a supporter

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