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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.

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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: temple · staff · stem · press · fork · file · object · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. object — a thing
  3. staff — employees
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. staff — a stick
  6. shower — rain
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. file — a document
  10. staff — employees
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. object — to protest
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fork — in a road
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stem — to come from
  20. file — a line of people
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. file — a tool
  24. object — an aim

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