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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. face — part of the head
  3. clip — for paper
  4. mug — a cup
  5. face — to confront
  6. court — for sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. clip — a video
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. clip — to cut
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mug — to rob
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mug — a face
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pitch — completely

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