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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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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: face · fan · rock · game · fork · mug · mark · saw

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mug — a face
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mark — a grade
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rock — music
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. game — a match
  17. fork — in a road
  18. game — wild animals
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mug — a cup
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. face — to confront

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