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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: bear · mate · firm · temple · fine · rush · cell · pass

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. firm — a company
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. firm — steady
  8. cell — in biology
  9. fine — high quality
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mate — a partner
  22. firm — decided
  23. fine — all right
  24. bear — to put up with

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