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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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 — a video
  3. charge — a price
  4. game — a match
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cue — a hint
  7. game — wild animals
  8. charge — electricity
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. swing — music
  11. cue — a signal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. charge — in control
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. swing — in golf
  20. clip — to cut
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. clip — for paper
  24. cue — for pool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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