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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: temple · chair · date · lean · can · clip · press · march

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. lean — thin
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lean — to bend
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. can — to be able to
  14. press — a publisher
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. can — a tin
  18. press — newspapers
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. march — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. chair — a leader
  24. press — to push

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