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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. firm — decided
  5. bear — the animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. clip — a video
  12. lean — thin
  13. firm — steady
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bear — the animal
  16. firm — a company
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. clip — to cut

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