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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: temple · trunk · pit · calf · bear · pass · clip · march

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pit — a hole
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. march — the month
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pass — a permit
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. march — music
  12. clip — to cut
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bear — the animal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pit — in a race
  18. march — the month
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. clip — a video
  24. pass — to spend time

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