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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
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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 · suit · game · snap · object · temple · roll · stem

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. object — an aim
  3. suit — in cards
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. clip — for paper
  6. suit — clothes
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. clip — to cut
  11. stem — to come from
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. game — wild animals
  14. object — to protest
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. roll — a cake
  19. clip — a video
  20. object — a thing
  21. roll — a list
  22. game — a match
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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