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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. march — music
  4. roll — a cake
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. march — the month
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. board — a committee
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. march — the month
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — to get on
  21. fork — in a road
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. face — part of the head
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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