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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fan · march · ball · temple · bark · present · rule · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. march — the month
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. march — the month
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ball — a great time
  14. face — to confront
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. present — there
  23. march — music
  24. rule — government

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