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

Word bank: face · temple · rule · staff · roll · chip · content · fork

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. roll — a list
  4. rule — government
  5. face — part of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. content — happy
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. face — to point toward
  16. staff — employees
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fork — in a road
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rule — a law
  23. content — the amount
  24. roll — a cake

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