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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mug — to rob
  3. board — a committee
  4. chip — to eat
  5. prune — to trim
  6. clip — for paper
  7. mug — a cup
  8. board — to get on
  9. mug — a face
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. spring — the season
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. clip — to cut
  14. chip — for betting
  15. spring — of water
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. clip — a video
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. spring — a coil

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