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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: pound · firm · march · temple · track · wax · bound · rest

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. track — a path
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. march — music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bound — obliged
  11. march — the month
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. march — the month
  15. firm — steady
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bound — certain
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. firm — decided
  23. track — a song
  24. firm — a company

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