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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.

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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: leaves · temple · march · clip · bound · nail · foot · jam

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. march — the month
  3. foot — a measure
  4. clip — for paper
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bound — certain
  8. march — music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. clip — a video
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bound — tied together
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bound — obliged
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. march — the month

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