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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: bore · face · march · saw · wave · rule · jam · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. face — to confront
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. saw — the tool
  7. march — music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rule — a law
  12. march — the month
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. march — the month
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rule — government
  19. face — part of the head
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bore — to tire

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