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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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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: bark · clip · stem · saw · charge · season · chip · plane

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. bark — to shout
  9. clip — a video
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. plane — a tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. clip — to cut
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. plane — an aircraft

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