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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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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 · temple · mine · clip · track · content · object · suit

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. clip — a video
  3. object — to protest
  4. dip — to sink
  5. track — a path
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. object — an aim
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. clip — for paper
  14. content — the amount
  15. suit — to fit
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. clip — to cut
  20. content — happy
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. suit — in cards
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. suit — clothes

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