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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · mug · suit · chip · face · scale · clip · stem

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. suit — to fit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. clip — to cut
  6. face — part of the head
  7. clip — for paper
  8. face — to point toward
  9. suit — clothes
  10. face — to confront
  11. fall — the season
  12. scale — in music
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. scale — size or range
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mug — a face
  23. clip — a video
  24. chip — for betting

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