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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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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: march · land · safe · rock · bore · lean · temple · fine

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. march — the month
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rock — a stone
  6. land — to come down
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. land — ground
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. march — music
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rock — music
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. march — the month
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. land — a country
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. lean — thin

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