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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · pound · clip · face · bass · safe · current · temple

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chip — for betting
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pound — a weight
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. current — of water
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. face — part of the head
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. face — to confront
  16. clip — a video
  17. current — happening now
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bass — low music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. current — electric
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bass — the fish

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