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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: temple · bulb · roll · key · field · clip · content · hide

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. roll — a list
  5. field — a subject
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bulb — for light
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. content — the amount
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. content — happy
  14. key — in music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. key — the most important part
  17. field — farmland
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bulb — for light
  20. field — for sport
  21. key — for a lock
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. roll — a cake

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