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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: temple · leaves · pound · can · track · row · pass · pop

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. can — a tin
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pass — a permit
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. track — a song
  19. pop — music
  20. pound — a weight
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. can — a tin
  23. row — a line
  24. can — to be able to

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