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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · temple · mate · cell · pass · swing

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rock — a stone
  5. swing — music
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cell — a phone
  8. swing — to play on
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mate — to breed
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cell — in biology
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rock — music
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. 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