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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.

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: swing · stem · bay · clip · pitcher · temple · fan · cue

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cue — for pool
  13. swing — to play on
  14. clip — a video
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cue — a hint
  18. swing — music
  19. clip — to cut
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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