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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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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: toast · leaves · kid · craft · straw · pit · temple · pass

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pass — a permit
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. toast — bread
  12. pit — a hole
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pit — in a race
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. kid — child
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. straw — dry grass

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