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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rock — a stone
  6. foot — a measure
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rock — music
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. foot — the bottom

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