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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: lean · date · temple · present · fan · pass · leaves · hand

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lean — thin
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. hand — help
  7. pass — a permit
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. present — a gift
  10. date — the fruit
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. present — there
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. present — the time now
  24. temple — side of the head

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