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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: bank · temple · band · bass · face · march · craft · land

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. craft — a skill
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. land — a country
  8. march — music
  9. band — a music group
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bank — for money
  13. march — the month
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. face — to point toward
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. bass — low music
  20. face — to confront
  21. craft — boats
  22. bass — the fish
  23. face — part of the head
  24. band — a ring

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