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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.

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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: cell · rash · march · row · cabinet · last · temple · bay

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. march — the month
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. march — the month
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. row — a line
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. march — music
  19. last — to go on
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rash — a series
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. last — finally
  24. temple — a place of worship

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