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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: press · bank · row · bear · wax · clip · rash · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bank — for money
  3. press — a publisher
  4. clip — a video
  5. press — to push
  6. bear — the animal
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bank — of a river
  9. row — a line
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bear — the animal
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bank — for money
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rash — a series
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. wax — to grow
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. temple — a place of worship

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