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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. can — a tin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. can — to be able to
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. date — the fruit
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. drill — a practice
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rest — a break
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cell — a phone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pass — a permit
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cell — in biology
  23. can — a tin
  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