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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: temple · bound · scale · nail · ruler · row · march · cell

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. march — music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. march — the month
  7. bound — certain
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. row — to paddle
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. row — a line
  13. scale — in music
  14. march — the month
  15. cell — in biology
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bound — obliged
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cell — a phone

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