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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fork · face · object · temple · band · spring · dip · game

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. band — a music group
  5. spring — a coil
  6. band — a ring
  7. fork — in a road
  8. face — to point toward
  9. object — an aim
  10. face — to confront
  11. spring — of water
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. object — a thing
  14. spring — the season
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. dip — to sink
  19. face — part of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. object — to protest
  24. game — wild animals

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