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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. suit — in cards
  4. clip — for paper
  5. chest — of your body
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — to fit
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stem — to come from
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fork — in a road
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. chest — a box

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