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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
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: temple · bulb · hide · chip · spring · straw · stand · clip

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. chip — for betting
  3. clip — for paper
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. stand — to bear
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. clip — to cut
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chip — to eat
  23. clip — a video
  24. chip — in a computer

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