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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.

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: temple · chair · clip · arm · fan · nail · rush · pitch

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. clip — a video
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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