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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: face · bore · firm · stick · temple · wake · saw · mark

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. saw — the tool
  6. firm — a company
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. face — to confront
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. firm — decided
  12. face — part of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — steady
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. face — to point toward

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