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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.

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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: bank · straw · stand · tube · temple · pass · leaves · wake

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bank — for money
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pass — a permit
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. tube — a container
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wake — a trail

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