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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 · leaves · pound · march · key · arm · band · nail

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. band — a ring
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. march — music
  8. key — in music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. key — for a lock
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. march — the month
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. key — the most important part
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pound — a weight
  20. march — the month
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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