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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.

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: degree · rest · season · temple · prune · ground · bank · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rest — a break
  3. season — in sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. season — of the year
  6. bank — for money
  7. press — newspapers
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bank — of a river
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ground — the earth
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bank — for money
  24. temple — side of the head

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