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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 120 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: march · ground · rule · temple · cue · perch · rash · face

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. march — the month
  7. rash — a series
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rule — a law
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ground — the earth
  13. march — the month
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. march — music
  16. face — to confront
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cue — a hint
  23. perch — the fish
  24. ground — crushed

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