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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 116 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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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: content · stick · stem · fine · shower · present · chip · clip

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. present — there
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. shower — to wash
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fine — high quality
  10. shower — rain
  11. stem — to come from
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fine — all right
  14. content — the amount
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — for paper
  19. content — happy
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. present — the time now
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. chip — for betting
  24. present — a gift

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