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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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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: temple · pit · file · fork · face · band · toast · branch

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. band — a music group
  3. toast — bread
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. band — a ring
  7. file — a tool
  8. face — to confront
  9. pit — a hole
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pit — in a race
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. face — to point toward
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. file — a document
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. face — part of the head
  21. file — a line of people
  22. branch — a division
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. temple — a place of worship

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