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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: wave · rock · bat · file · nail · toast · temple · march

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. file — a line of people
  6. march — music
  7. rock — music
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rock — a stone
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. toast — bread

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