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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: tube · object · sharp · degree · temple · last · pass · fall

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. last — to go on
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pass — a permit
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fall — the season
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fall — to drop
  9. last — finally
  10. tube — a container
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. degree — temperature
  14. object — to protest
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fall — to drop
  17. degree — from a university
  18. object — a thing
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. degree — an amount
  22. tube — the underground
  23. last — final
  24. object — an aim

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