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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mate — to breed
  3. file — a document
  4. face — part of the head
  5. march — music
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. file — a tool
  10. march — the month
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cue — a signal
  16. march — the month
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mate — a partner

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