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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell 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. object — a thing
  3. object — an aim
  4. clip — for paper
  5. cap — a hat
  6. clip — to cut
  7. shower — to wash
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. clip — a video
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cap — of ice
  19. object — to protest
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. shower — rain
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lie — an untruth

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