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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 120 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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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: clip · dip · temple · fall · board · stand · saw · snap

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. board — a committee
  3. fall — to drop
  4. clip — to cut
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. clip — a video
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. dip — to sink
  13. snap — to click
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stand — to bear
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. saw — the tool
  19. board — to get on
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fall — to drop
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fall — the season

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