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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. chest — a box
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. chest — of your body
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. clip — a video
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. present — the time now
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. craft — a skill
  18. present — a gift
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. present — there
  21. clip — for paper
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. craft — boats

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