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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
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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 · ruler · staff · temple · wound · track · fan · tube

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. march — music
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. staff — employees
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tube — the underground
  13. track — a path
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tube — a container
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. track — a song
  20. wound — an injury
  21. march — the month
  22. staff — a stick
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. staff — employees

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