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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: saw · pitcher · rest · object · press · temple · hand · band

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. object — a thing
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rest — a break
  8. saw — the tool
  9. object — an aim
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. press — a publisher
  14. hand — in cards
  15. press — newspapers
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. band — a ring
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. saw — the tool
  21. band — a music group
  22. object — to protest
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. press — to push

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