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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. 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. mark — a trace
  2. clip — a video
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. clip — for paper
  6. field — farmland
  7. cell — a phone
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rock — music
  10. field — a subject
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. field — for sport
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. 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