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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: mate · dip · clip · face · stock · current · nail · chip

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. current — of water
  4. clip — to cut
  5. current — happening now
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mate — a partner
  11. clip — a video
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stock — goods
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. current — electric
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. chip — for betting
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — to confront
  24. clip — for paper

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