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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: object · arm · lean · temple · bat · face · mug · clip

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lean — thin
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. object — a thing
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bat — the animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. face — to point toward
  15. lean — to bend
  16. clip — a video
  17. object — to protest
  18. face — to confront
  19. clip — for paper
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. object — an aim
  22. mug — a face
  23. face — part of the head
  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