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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 120 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tube — a container
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mine — for digging
  8. track — a path
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. track — a song
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. tear — from crying
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fork — in a road
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mine — belonging to me

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