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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: fan · temple · mine · stand · press · rash · spring · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stand — to bear
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rash — hasty
  6. spring — the season
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. spring — of water
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rash — a series
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. object — to protest
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — an aim
  24. press — a publisher

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