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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. clip — a video
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. swing — in golf
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. clip — for paper
  14. capital — a city
  15. key — the most important part
  16. swing — music
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. swing — to play on
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bat — the animal
  24. temple — side of the head

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