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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rock — music
  5. cue — for pool
  6. chip — to eat
  7. clip — for paper
  8. club — a group
  9. suit — clothes
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. suit — in cards
  12. clip — to cut
  13. tear — to rip
  14. club — for golf
  15. cue — a signal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. tear — from crying
  19. clip — a video
  20. suit — to fit
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rock — a stone
  23. plane — a tool
  24. club — for dancing

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