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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ground — crushed
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lean — to bend
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. face — to point toward
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. march — the month
  16. ground — the earth
  17. march — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lean — thin
  20. ground — a position
  21. chip — for betting
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fork — to eat with

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