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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.

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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: temple · pass · clip · calf · snap · squash · mug · date

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. date — the fruit
  5. snap — to click
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mug — to rob
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pass — a permit
  10. squash — to crush
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. squash — the sport
  13. clip — to cut
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. clip — for paper
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mug — a face
  24. squash — the vegetable

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