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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: pass · court · rush · suit · temple · hand · kick · cabinet

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hand — help
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rush — hurry
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. suit — clothes
  18. court — for sport
  19. suit — to fit
  20. court — of a king
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. court — of law

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