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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: march · foot · face · hide · roll · temple · snap · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. snap — to click
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. face — part of the head
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. foot — a measure
  14. march — the month
  15. fork — in a road
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. march — the month
  22. roll — a cake
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. march — music

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