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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · staff · file · clip · mark · temple · bass · pit

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mark — a grade
  3. staff — employees
  4. pit — in a race
  5. press — newspapers
  6. clip — to cut
  7. press — to push
  8. pit — a hole
  9. file — a document
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. press — a publisher
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bass — low music
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. mark — a trace
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. file — 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