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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.

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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: bank · temple · bat · pass · band · staff · chair · wax

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. staff — employees
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. staff — employees
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wax — to grow
  8. band — a music group
  9. pass — a permit
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. band — a ring
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bank — for money
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bank — of a river
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bank — for money
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. chair — a leader

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