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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. march — music
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. fork — in a road
  6. march — the month
  7. board — to get on
  8. bore — to tire
  9. face — to point toward
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. board — a committee
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bore — to drill
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. file — a tool
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. file — a line of people
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. file — a document
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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