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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 120 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: temple · key · face · clip · charge · ground · dip · fan

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. clip — for paper
  4. charge — electricity
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. key — in music
  8. dip — to sink
  9. ground — crushed
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. charge — a price
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. charge — in control
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. face — part of the head
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. clip — a video
  24. dip — to dunk

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