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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · temple · fine · clip · wave · dip · tear · suit

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. clip — for paper
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fine — all right
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pop — to visit
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pop — soda
  19. clip — a video
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. tear — from crying
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pop — music
  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