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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.

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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: perch · clip · face · chip · sharp · suit · race · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. chip — to eat
  4. race — the arms race
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. clip — to cut
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. suit — to fit
  14. sharp — clever
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. face — to confront
  17. suit — clothes
  18. perch — the fish
  19. suit — in cards
  20. clip — a video
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  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