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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. current — happening now
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cap — a lid
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fall — the season
  9. clip — a video
  10. current — electric
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. clip — to cut
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chest — of your body
  21. current — of water
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bay — a horse colour

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