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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 · plane · hand · tube · rule · spring · leaves · pass

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spring — the season
  3. tube — the underground
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rule — a law
  10. spring — of water
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. spring — a coil
  15. hand — in cards
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. hand — help
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rule — government
  23. tube — a container
  24. temple — a place of worship

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