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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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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: ruler · vault · march · season · kick · fall · temple · ground

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. ground — a position
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. season — of the year
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kick — in football
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fall — to drop
  12. season — in sport
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. march — the month
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. vault — a safe
  17. march — the month
  18. ground — crushed
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fall — the season
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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