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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 · season · lean · temple · rash · present · dip · ground

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. dip — to sink
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lean — thin
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rash — hasty
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. present — there
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lean — to bend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ground — a position
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rash — a series
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. clip — for paper

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