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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
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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: craft · content · roll · dip · ball · tube · hide · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. tube — the underground
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. ball — a great time
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. roll — a cake
  9. craft — a skill
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. clip — a video
  13. tube — a container
  14. ball — a dance
  15. content — the amount
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. dip — to sink
  18. content — happy
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. clip — to cut
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

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