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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.

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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 · pitcher · wake · mark · temple · rush · object

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. clip — a video
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mark — a grade
  7. object — to protest
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. content — the amount
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rush — hurry
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. object — an aim
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. content — happy
  23. object — a thing
  24. pitcher — a jug

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