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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: cabinet · bay · stem · clip · temple · snap · rash · lie

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rash — a series
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lie — to recline
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. clip — a video
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. snap — to click
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bay — a horse colour

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