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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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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 · leaves · rash · firm · bay · fork · ball · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. firm — a company
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. march — the month
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ball — a great time
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. march — music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. ball — a dance
  15. firm — steady
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. march — the month
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. firm — decided
  24. rash — a series

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