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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: clip · mine · deal · vault · dip · lie · content · roll

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mine — for digging
  8. clip — to cut
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. content — the amount
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. clip — a video
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. lie — to recline
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. roll — a cake
  20. content — happy
  21. vault — a safe
  22. clip — for paper
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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