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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: fork · march · cell · file · temple · fine · stem · toast

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. file — a tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. toast — bread
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. file — a document
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stem — to come from
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. fine — all right
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. file — a line of people
  21. march — the month
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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