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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. clip — for paper
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. march — the month
  6. clip — a video
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. march — the month
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. dip — to sink
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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