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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 · march · cabinet · bat · foot · firm · bowl · straw

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. march — the month
  4. firm — decided
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bat — the animal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. march — music
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. firm — a company
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. firm — steady
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. march — the month

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