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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 120 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 · ruler · face · pass · spring · temple · fall · saw

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. face — to confront
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. face — to point toward
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. spring — of water
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fall — the season
  15. saw — the tool
  16. face — part of the head
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. spring — the season
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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