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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: saw · roll · temple · rush · mark · spell · pass · pitcher

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. spell — magic
  14. mark — a grade
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. saw — the tool
  24. spell — letters

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