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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: season · temple · snap · ruler · face · toast · board · ground

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. season — in sport
  7. ground — a position
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ground — the earth
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. face — part of the head
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. season — of the year
  17. snap — to click
  18. board — a committee
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. face — to point toward
  24. temple — side of the head

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