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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.

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: spell · clip · rock · temple · tube · foot · land · stand

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. spell — letters
  3. land — ground
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. spell — magic
  6. tube — a container
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stand — to bear
  11. spell — a short time
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. clip — for paper
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rock — music
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. tube — the underground
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. rock — a stone
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. temple — a place of worship

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