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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: clip · temple · fork · game · bay · bark · fan · chair

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fork — in a road
  5. game — wild animals
  6. clip — a video
  7. game — a match
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. clip — for paper
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. clip — to cut
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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