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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: temple · pass · roll · leaves · club · content · hide · spell

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. spell — letters
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. roll — a list
  19. spell — magic
  20. roll — a cake
  21. spell — a short time
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. leaves — to go away

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