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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rest · clip · face · bass · march · scale · ruler · bound

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rest — what's left
  6. scale — in music
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bound — obliged
  10. face — to confront
  11. bound — certain
  12. bass — low music
  13. march — the month
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. march — the month
  21. clip — a video
  22. bass — the fish
  23. clip — for paper
  24. face — to point toward

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