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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. clip — for paper
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. chip — for betting
  6. clip — a video
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. clip — to cut
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mug — a face
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. mug — a cup
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pop — soda

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