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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bank — for money
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bank — of a river
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — to confront
  9. clip — a video
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cap — a hat
  19. face — to point toward
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. face — part of the head
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bulb — of a plant

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