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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. temple — side of the head
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. last — finally
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mate — a friend
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. clip — to cut
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. last — to go on
  11. bass — the fish
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mate — to breed
  14. last — final
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bass — low music
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fan — a supporter
  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