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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: temple · arm · ruler · bay · sharp · wave · clip · coach

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. sharp — clever
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. clip — a video
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. ruler — a monarch

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