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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bound — certain
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. tube — a container
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bound — tied together
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mark — a grade
  17. game — a match
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bound — obliged
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. fan — a supporter

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