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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. march — the month
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. march — the month
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. shower — to wash
  14. root — of a plant
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. march — music
  17. shower — rain
  18. root — the cause
  19. fork — in a road
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. root — of a word
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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