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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.

Make a worksheet

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: clip · content · cue · calf · object · fine · temple · chair

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. cue — a hint
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fine — high quality
  6. object — a thing
  7. clip — for paper
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. clip — a video
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — the amount
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. content — happy
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. clip — to cut
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fine — all right
  24. content — videos and posts

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