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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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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: cell · temple · clip · lie · bay · cue · swing · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. clip — to cut
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. clip — for paper
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rock — a stone
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. clip — a video
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cue — for pool
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cue — a hint

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