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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 · squash · press · band · mate · fan · plane

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. press — to push
  3. squash — the sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. band — a ring
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. staff — employees
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. staff — a stick
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mate — a partner
  21. band — a music group
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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