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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chip — for betting
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pass — a permit
  6. spring — the season
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bulb — for light
  17. band — a ring
  18. bulb — for light
  19. band — a music group
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pass — to succeed

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