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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 120 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: march · wound · ball · temple · lean · nail · pound · board

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. board — to get on
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. march — music
  13. ball — a dance
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lean — thin
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. board — a committee
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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