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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: wound · content · temple · mate · date · tube · pass · wave

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wound — an injury
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. tube — the underground
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. tube — a container
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. content — the amount
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mate — to breed
  20. content — happy
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wave — with your hand

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