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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 · saw · march · current · mark · face · drill · firm

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. march — the month
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. march — the month
  6. drill — army training
  7. current — happening now
  8. mark — a trace
  9. face — part of the head
  10. current — electric
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. face — to confront
  13. firm — a company
  14. drill — the tool
  15. firm — steady
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. firm — decided
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. saw — the tool
  20. march — music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. face — to point toward
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mark — a grade

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