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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. clip — for paper
  7. sharp — clever
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. chip — for betting
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. clip — to cut
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. clip — a video
  24. file — a tool

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