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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: row · bulb · pass · rush · temple · mate · wound · pitcher

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. row — a line
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rush — hurry
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bulb — for light

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