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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 120 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: leaves · drill · pass · band · craft · dip · temple · prune

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. band — a ring
  4. craft — a skill
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. drill — army training
  8. prune — to trim
  9. band — a music group
  10. pass — a permit
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. drill — the tool
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. craft — boats
  17. dip — to sink
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. drill — a practice

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