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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: court · last · cabinet · band · present · saw · press · temple

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. press — to push
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. saw — the tool
  6. court — of a king
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. last — to go on
  10. band — a ring
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. present — a gift
  14. last — final
  15. present — there
  16. saw — the tool
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. court — for sport
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. court — of law
  21. present — the time now
  22. band — a music group
  23. press — a publisher
  24. last — finally

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