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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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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. clip — a video
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chip — to eat
  10. clip — to cut
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rock — a stone
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rock — music

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