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

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. clip — for paper
  3. charge — a price
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mug — to rob
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. clip — a video
  8. mug — a cup
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. roll — a cake
  12. charge — electricity
  13. roll — a list
  14. charge — in control
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mug — a face
  18. clip — to cut

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