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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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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: row · sharp · nail · temple · chest · deal · bound · march

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. march — music
  4. sharp — clever
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bound — certain
  10. march — the month
  11. bound — tied together
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. row — to paddle
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chest — a box
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. march — the month
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. chest — of your body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chest — of your body
  24. row — a line

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