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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: cell · suit · temple · staff · pass · last · roll · calf

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. suit — clothes
  3. last — finally
  4. staff — employees
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. staff — employees
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pass — a permit
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. last — to go on
  13. cell — in biology
  14. roll — a cake
  15. suit — to fit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. last — final
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. staff — a stick
  23. roll — a list
  24. cell — a phone

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