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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. chip — for betting
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pass — a permit
  12. clip — a video
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. clip — to cut
  15. date — the fruit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. clip — for paper
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. safe — out of danger

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