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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. roll — a list
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. clip — to cut
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mug — a cup
  10. rash — a series
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. march — the month
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mug — a face
  24. roll — a cake

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