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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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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: field · march · deal · file · dip · lean · can · temple

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. march — the month
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. march — music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. field — farmland
  12. can — a tin
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. file — a document
  15. march — the month
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. field — a subject
  18. can — a tin
  19. field — for sport
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. deal — to handle
  24. can — to be able to

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