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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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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: leaves · mine · cell · foot · march · temple · stick · mark

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. march — the month
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. march — the month
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. march — music
  19. foot — a measure
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. mark — a grade

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