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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: chip · stem · clip · perch · present · rush · face · cue

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. present — there
  7. perch — the fish
  8. clip — to cut
  9. stem — to come from
  10. clip — a video
  11. face — to confront
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. clip — for paper
  14. face — to point toward
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. face — part of the head
  21. present — the time now
  22. chip — to eat
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cue — for pool

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