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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 120 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. clip — to cut
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. court — for sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. clip — a video
  11. court — of law
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. deal — to handle
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rest — what's left
  17. court — of a king
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rest — a break
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bark — of a tree

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