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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. clip — for paper
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. track — a path
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — to keep track
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stem — to come from
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. track — a song
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. lie — to recline
  24. chip — in a computer

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