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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: clip · tear · perch · spell · mug · nail · chip · band

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. clip — a video
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. clip — to cut
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chip — for betting
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spell — a short time
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mug — to rob
  14. perch — the fish
  15. tear — from crying
  16. band — a music group
  17. spell — letters
  18. band — a ring
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mug — a face
  21. chip — to eat
  22. tear — from crying
  23. clip — for paper
  24. spell — magic

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