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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: trunk · pass · dip · roll · rule · last · degree · bat

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rule — a law
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. last — finally
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. degree — from a university
  9. last — final
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. degree — temperature
  15. last — to go on
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. dip — to sink
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rule — government
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pass — a permit

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