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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. clip — to cut
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. firm — a company
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wake — a trail
  9. suit — to fit
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. rock — a stone
  15. saw — the tool
  16. clip — a video
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. suit — in cards
  22. roll — a list
  23. rock — music
  24. suit — clothes

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