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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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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: face · temple · game · safe · spring · fork · mark · present

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. fork — in a road
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. game — a match
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. present — the time now
  11. spring — the season
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. present — there
  17. face — to point toward
  18. game — wild animals
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. present — a gift
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mark — a grade

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