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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · cue · fork · field · face · mine · drill · spring

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. mine — for digging
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cue — a signal
  14. field — a subject
  15. drill — army training
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. field — farmland
  18. drill — a practice
  19. face — part of the head
  20. spring — a coil
  21. face — to confront
  22. cue — a hint
  23. field — for sport
  24. mine — belonging to me

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