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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. drill — army training
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. drill — a practice
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. saw — the tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. face — part of the head
  13. saw — the tool
  14. face — to confront
  15. drill — the tool
  16. track — a song
  17. face — to point toward
  18. track — to keep track
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. track — a path
  23. bass — the fish
  24. current — of water

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