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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: march · row · band · perch · temple · lash · plane · mine

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. plane — a tool
  4. march — music
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mine — for digging
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. march — the month
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. row — to paddle
  16. perch — the fish
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. march — the month
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. row — a line
  21. band — a ring
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. row — a quarrel

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