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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rush — hurry
  6. clip — for paper
  7. scale — in music
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. clip — to cut
  13. last — finally
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. last — final
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lie — to recline
  20. clip — a video
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. last — to go on
  24. temple — a place of worship

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