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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 ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. net — after costs
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chip — for betting
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. net — for catching
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — for paper
  21. net — in sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fan — to cool the air

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