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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · hide · swing · temple · field · tube · bear · pass

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. swing — in golf
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. staff — employees
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. staff — a stick
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. field — for sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. field — farmland
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bear — the animal
  23. tube — a container
  24. field — a subject

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