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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pop — music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. roll — a cake
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. present — the time now
  7. suit — to fit
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. roll — a list
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. saw — the tool
  13. clip — to cut
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. suit — in cards
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. present — there
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. suit — clothes
  24. present — a gift

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