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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · suit · tear · net · pass · plane · rush · temple

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cell — a phone
  3. net — in sport
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. suit — in cards
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. net — for catching
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. tear — from crying
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. suit — clothes
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cell — in biology
  17. plane — a tool
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. suit — to fit
  22. tear — to rip
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. net — after costs

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