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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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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. capital — money
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. clip — a video
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. dip — to sink
  17. capital — a city
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rock — music
  22. net — after costs
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. chair — a leader

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