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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: staff · temple · calf · racket · press · season · bulb · saw

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. season — of the year
  6. press — a publisher
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. press — to push
  9. saw — the tool
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bulb — for light
  12. staff — employees
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. season — in sport
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. staff — employees
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. calf — a young animal

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