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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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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: chip · suit · snap · wind · press · mark · clip · perch

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. suit — clothes
  4. clip — for paper
  5. mark — a grade
  6. chip — to eat
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. press — a publisher
  10. snap — to click
  11. mark — a trace
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. suit — to fit
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wind — moving air
  16. suit — in cards
  17. chip — for betting
  18. perch — the fish
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. clip — a video
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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