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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 · present · clip · bass · leaves · temple · rock · bulb

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. present — the time now
  4. rock — music
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. present — a gift
  8. bass — low music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. clip — a video
  12. present — there
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bulb — for light
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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