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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: fine · content · root · chip · wake · chest · clip · temple

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. root — of a word
  5. wake — a trail
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. root — of a plant
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. content — the amount
  20. chest — a box
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. root — the cause
  24. content — happy

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