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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. clip — for paper
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. squash — to crush
  5. field — farmland
  6. drill — army training
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. squash — the sport
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fine — high quality
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. clip — a video
  16. fine — all right
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. field — for sport
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. clip — to cut
  23. field — a subject
  24. bay — a horse colour

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