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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cap — of ice
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cap — a lid
  10. game — wild animals
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rock — music
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pound — a weight
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. game — a match

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