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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.

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: toast · face · pop · roll · saw · file · present · temple

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pop — soda
  6. present — there
  7. face — to point toward
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. face — part of the head
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pop — music
  12. roll — a list
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. roll — a cake
  15. saw — the tool
  16. toast — bread
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. file — a document
  19. face — to confront
  20. saw — the tool
  21. present — a gift
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. present — the time now

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