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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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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: stand · temple · ruler · last · pound · row

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. last — final
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. last — to go on
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. stand — to bear
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. last — finally
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. row — a line

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