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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · cap · temple · coach · fan · clip · mate · club

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. cap — of ice
  3. club — for golf
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. clip — a video
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cap — a lid
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mate — to breed
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. club — a group
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. club — for dancing
  20. clip — to cut
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mate — a friend

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