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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. band — a ring
  6. file — a document
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. dip — to sink
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. file — a tool
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. band — a music group
  18. bear — the animal
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. file — a line of people
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. temple — a place of worship

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