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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: rule · foot · fan · march · safe · wake · temple · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. march — the month
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. march — the month
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wake — a trail
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rule — a law
  19. march — music
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rule — government
  22. tube — a container
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. temple — side of the head

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