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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. tear — from crying
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. game — a match
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. clip — for paper
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rest — a break
  11. cue — for pool
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cue — a hint
  17. clip — a video
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. game — wild animals
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tear — from crying
  23. vault — a safe
  24. game — a kind of play

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