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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
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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: mark · file · chip · face · sharp · trunk · clip · straw

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. file — a tool
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. file — a line of people
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. face — part of the head
  12. file — a document
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chip — for betting
  16. sharp — clever
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. chip — to eat
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — a video
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mark — a trace
  23. face — to confront
  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