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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · march · spring · rule · fan · scale · temple · drill

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. file — a document
  3. scale — in music
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. drill — army training
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. drill — a practice
  10. rule — government
  11. march — the month
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. spring — of water
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. march — the month
  16. file — a tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. march — music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rule — a law
  24. fan — a supporter

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