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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: degree · coach · rush · temple · pass · march · season · rest

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rush — hurry
  7. march — music
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. degree — an amount
  11. season — in sport
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — a permit
  18. season — of the year
  19. rest — a break
  20. march — the month
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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