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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: bay · temple · pass · game · sharp · bound · band · press

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. band — a music group
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. game — a match
  8. press — a publisher
  9. band — a ring
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. press — to push
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bound — certain
  18. sharp — clever
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bound — obliged
  22. press — newspapers
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. sharp — with an edge

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