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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: hide · stick · temple · firm · plane · press · bass · march

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. march — music
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. march — the month
  7. press — to push
  8. firm — steady
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. press — newspapers
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — low music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. march — the month
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. plane — a tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. firm — a company
  19. press — a publisher
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bass — the fish
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. firm — decided
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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