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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: temple · cap · dip · band · ground · foot · hide · clip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cap — a hat
  7. dip — to sink
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cap — a lid
  12. clip — a video
  13. band — a ring
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cap — of ice
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ground — a position
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. band — a music group
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. clip — to cut
  22. ground — the earth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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