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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: chair · racket · calf · craft · mate · press · object · temple

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. craft — a skill
  11. object — a thing
  12. mate — a partner
  13. object — an aim
  14. press — to push
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. press — newspapers
  19. craft — boats
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. press — a publisher
  24. chair — to sit on

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