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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. clip — a video
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. chip — for betting
  12. hand — help
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hand — in cards
  17. clip — to cut
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — in geometry

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