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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: fall · deal · clip · net · stand · chip · temple · mine

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mine — for digging
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. chip — for betting
  10. clip — to cut
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. clip — a video
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. net — for catching
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stand — to bear
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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