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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: track · suit · temple · march · foot · toast · tube · wound

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. march — music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. march — the month
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. suit — to fit
  13. foot — a measure
  14. track — a song
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. suit — clothes
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — the underground
  19. march — the month
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. suit — in cards
  22. toast — bread
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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