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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. face — part of the head
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. squash — to crush
  5. face — to confront
  6. fork — in a road
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ground — a position
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. band — a music group
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. band — a ring
  18. face — to point toward
  19. squash — the sport
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. stem — to come from

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