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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.

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: face · scale · wave · file · cap · bound · field · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. scale — size or range
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. field — for sport
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cap — of ice
  13. field — farmland
  14. scale — in music
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. face — part of the head
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. file — a tool
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bound — certain
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. field — a subject

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