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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: dip · stem · net · clip · suit · game · mate · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. net — after costs
  3. game — a match
  4. suit — in cards
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stem — to come from
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. clip — for paper
  9. game — wild animals
  10. net — for catching
  11. clip — a video
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mate — a partner
  16. net — in sport
  17. mate — to breed
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mate — a friend
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. clip — to cut

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