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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — to cut
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chip — to eat
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mark — a trace
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. kick — in football
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. clip — a video
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stem — to come from
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. hide — animal skin

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