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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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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: band · bay · object · chair · fork · temple · rest · press

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. object — a thing
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fork — in a road
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. object — to protest
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. press — a publisher
  13. band — a music group
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a ring
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — to push
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. chair — a professorship

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