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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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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: clip · saw · kick · key · bore · firm · temple · bear

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. firm — a company
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bore — to tire
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — to drill
  17. clip — for paper
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. clip — to cut

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