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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · prune · mouse · safe · face · hand · deal · march

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. march — the month
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. march — the month
  8. prune — to trim
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. hand — help
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. hand — in cards
  21. prune — to trim
  22. march — music
  23. face — to point toward
  24. hand — part of the body

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