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

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. march — the month
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. staff — employees
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wind — moving air
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — bread
  9. staff — employees
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. march — music
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. march — the month
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wind — moving air
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mate — a partner

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