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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: tube · drill · tear · pass · date · perch · sharp · temple

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. tear — to rip
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. drill — army training
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. tear — from crying
  12. date — the fruit
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. drill — the tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pass — a permit
  21. tube — the underground
  22. sharp — clever
  23. tear — from crying
  24. perch — the fish

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