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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pound — a weight
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cap — of ice
  10. clip — a video
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mate — a partner
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mate — a friend
  21. key — in music
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pound — to hit hard

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