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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.

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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: bass · stem · press · object · mate · temple · sharp · rock

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. stem — to come from
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rock — music
  6. object — a thing
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. object — to protest
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. sharp — clever
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. object — an aim
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. press — newspapers

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