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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.

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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. clip — a video
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bass — low music
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rule — a law
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bass — the fish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rule — government
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. calf — a young animal

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