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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 · firm · temple · charge · calf · key · ground · plane

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. clip — to cut
  3. key — the most important part
  4. charge — a price
  5. ground — a position
  6. key — in music
  7. clip — for paper
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. charge — in control
  12. ground — the earth
  13. firm — decided
  14. clip — a video
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. key — for a lock
  17. firm — steady
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. charge — electricity
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. firm — a company
  24. calf — a young animal

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