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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: object · bark · temple · tear · band · suit · march · game

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. game — a match
  3. object — to protest
  4. band — a ring
  5. tear — to rip
  6. suit — in cards
  7. tear — from crying
  8. march — music
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. suit — to fit
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. tear — from crying
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bark — to shout
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. band — a music group
  20. march — the month
  21. suit — clothes
  22. game — wild animals
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. band — a rubber band

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