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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 · rule · leaves · object · rest · mug · press · last

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rule — a law
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mug — a face
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. mug — a cup
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. object — a thing
  12. rule — government
  13. object — to protest
  14. mug — to rob
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. press — a publisher
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rest — what's left
  19. press — newspapers
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rest — a break
  22. press — to push
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. last — final

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