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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 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chip — to eat
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rest — what's left
  10. clip — for paper
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. spring — the season
  15. clip — to cut
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. spring — of water
  21. lie — to recline
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chip — in a computer

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