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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. clip — for paper
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. chip — for betting
  10. capital — money
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stem — to come from
  13. suit — in cards
  14. clip — to cut
  15. face — part of the head
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. clip — a video
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. capital — a city
  23. snap — to click
  24. face — to confront

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