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

Word bank: pit · pound · clip · bore · temple · march · snap · foot

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pit — in a race
  3. march — the month
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. march — the month
  7. pit — a hole
  8. clip — a video
  9. march — music
  10. snap — to click
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pound — a weight
  22. foot — a measure
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bore — to drill

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