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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: last · lash · suit · dip · calf · temple · clip · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. last — finally
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. suit — in cards
  9. content — the amount
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. last — to go on
  13. content — happy
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. clip — for paper
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. last — final
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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