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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.

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: clip · dip · craft · rush · temple · pit · bass · coach

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. craft — a skill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. clip — a video
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rush — hurry
  11. clip — to cut
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. dip — to sink
  18. craft — boats
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. clip — for paper
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bass — low music
  24. temple — side of the head

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