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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — to cut
  7. fall — to drop
  8. capital — a city
  9. roll — a list
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. roll — a cake
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fall — the season
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. capital — money
  21. key — for a lock
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. safe — out of danger

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