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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.

Make a worksheet

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: club · temple · march · tear · cabinet · key

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. tear — to rip
  4. club — a group
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. key — the most important part
  9. march — music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. tear — from crying
  12. march — the month
  13. club — for dancing
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. key — in music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. club — for golf
  18. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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