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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
468
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: clip · fan · march · pass · temple · land · pound · lie

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. march — the month
  3. land — ground
  4. clip — to cut
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. land — to come down
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. march — music
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. march — the month
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. land — a country
  23. lie — to recline
  24. clip — a video

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