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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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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: rest · key · kid · mark · pass · fork · temple · rash

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rest — what's left
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fork — in a road
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rest — a break
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mark — a trace
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pass — a permit
  17. key — for a lock
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mark — a grade
  21. kid — child
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rash — a series

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