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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: jam · scale · tear · bound · wax · temple · lean · march

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. lean — to bend
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bound — certain
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. scale — in music
  9. tear — from crying
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. tear — to rip
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. tear — from crying
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. march — the month
  16. scale — size or range
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. march — the month
  20. wax — to grow
  21. march — music
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bound — obliged

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