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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: kid · perch · tube · game · current · hide · temple · pass

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. game — wild animals
  3. kid — to tease
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. pass — a permit
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. current — electric
  18. kid — child
  19. game — a match
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pass — to succeed
  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