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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 · foot · pitcher · saw · wax · firm · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. march — the month
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. march — music
  7. foot — a measure
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. firm — a company
  13. march — the month
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. saw — the tool
  22. firm — steady
  23. wax — to grow
  24. firm — decided

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