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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: face · temple · rush · object · spring · pass · wave · leaves

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. spring — a coil
  3. face — to confront
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spring — the season
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pass — a permit
  12. face — to point toward
  13. object — to protest
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. object — a thing
  16. face — part of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. object — an aim
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spring — of water
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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