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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: rash · can · fan · scale · cue · bore · temple · pass

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cue — a hint
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. scale — size or range
  13. can — a tin
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rash — a series
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. can — to be able to
  18. scale — in music
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bore — to drill
  21. can — a tin
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bore — to tire
  24. temple — a place of worship

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