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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: snap · perch · stem · clip · face · current · file · bore

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stem — to come from
  4. current — electric
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. file — a document
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. face — to point toward
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. file — a tool
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. face — to confront
  23. perch — the fish
  24. snap — to click

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