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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
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: bat · bore · press · temple · clip · sharp · lash · rock

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. clip — for paper
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bore — to drill
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. clip — a video
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. press — a publisher
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rock — a stone
  18. sharp — clever
  19. clip — to cut
  20. press — to push
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rock — music
  24. bore — to tire

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