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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: hide · march · fork · race · ruler · fan · saw · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fork — in a road
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. march — the month
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. race — a contest
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. race — humankind
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — the month
  20. race — the arms race
  21. march — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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