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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: key · pitcher · temple · season · hide · clip · sharp · wake

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. clip — a video
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. clip — to cut
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. key — in music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. season — of the year
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. sharp — clever
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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