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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. spring — of water
  3. suit — clothes
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cue — for pool
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. chip — to eat
  12. clip — for paper
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cue — a signal
  15. clip — a video
  16. suit — to fit
  17. chip — for betting
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cue — a hint
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spring — the season
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spring — a coil

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