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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: temple · face · game · rule · shower · ground · coach · jam

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. shower — to wash
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rule — government
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ground — a position
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. game — wild animals
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. shower — rain
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rule — a law
  17. face — part of the head
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. face — to confront
  20. game — a match
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. ground — the earth
  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