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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. clip — a video
  3. wind — moving air
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wind — moving air
  6. clip — for paper
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. band — a ring
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spell — magic
  16. kick — in football
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. band — a music group
  20. chip — to eat
  21. spell — letters
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. clip — to cut
  24. hide — animal skin

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