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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: temple · spell · fan · capital · press · toast · bass · present

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. toast — bread
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spell — magic
  9. capital — money
  10. spell — letters
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. present — the time now
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bass — low music
  16. capital — a city
  17. present — a gift
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. press — to push
  20. present — there
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bass — the fish
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. spell — a short time

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