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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 120 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: net · temple · bank · bark · face · press · degree · chest

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bank — of a river
  4. net — for catching
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. net — in sport
  9. face — part of the head
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bank — for money
  12. chest — of your body
  13. degree — from a university
  14. face — to confront
  15. chest — a box
  16. face — to point toward
  17. press — to push
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. chest — of your body
  20. degree — an amount
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. net — after costs
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bank — for money

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