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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. dip — to sink
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ball — a great time
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. clip — to cut
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pop — soda
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pop — music
  24. dip — a sauce

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