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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: snap · foot · temple · mug · spring · face · drill · rule

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mug — a face
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. face — to confront
  7. mug — to rob
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. drill — a practice
  10. spring — of water
  11. rule — a law
  12. drill — the tool
  13. snap — to click
  14. drill — army training
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mug — a cup
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. spring — a coil
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rule — government
  22. spring — the season
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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