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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. stock — goods
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. net — in sport
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. stock — shares
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. clip — to cut
  17. net — after costs
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chip — for betting
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. chip — to eat
  23. net — for catching
  24. track — a path

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