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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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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 · ground · trunk · safe · snap · pound · clip · tear

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. clip — to cut
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. ground — a position
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ground — the earth
  10. clip — for paper
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. chip — to eat
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. ground — crushed
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. snap — to click
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pound — a weight

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