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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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Word bank
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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: fork · tear · toast · temple · swing · pass

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. toast — bread
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pass — a permit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip

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