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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 · rock · bulb · tube · sharp · ground · clip · temple

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. clip — to cut
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bulb — for light
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ground — crushed
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ground — the earth
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ground — a position
  19. tube — a container
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. tube — the underground
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. clip — for paper
  24. temple — side of the head

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