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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: straw · sharp · bound · ruler · land · march · fall · temple

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bound — tied together
  3. march — the month
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bound — obliged
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fall — to drop
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. land — ground
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. march — the month
  15. land — to come down
  16. fall — the season
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bound — certain
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. land — a country
  22. fall — to drop
  23. sharp — clever
  24. ruler — for measuring

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