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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: pass · can · date · chest · game · temple · leaves · kid

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kid — to tease
  6. game — a match
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pass — a permit
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. game — wild animals
  12. can — a tin
  13. chest — a box
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. kid — child
  17. chest — of your body
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. chest — of your body
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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