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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. chip — to eat
  3. clip — a video
  4. firm — steady
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. firm — decided
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. clip — to cut
  11. chip — for betting
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. roll — a cake
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pass — a permit
  20. roll — a list
  21. firm — a company
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pass — to spend time

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