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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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 — for paper
  3. spring — of water
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cue — a signal
  8. spring — the season
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. clip — to cut
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cue — for pool
  14. clip — a video
  15. spring — a coil
  16. cue — a hint
  17. chip — to eat
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mate — a friend
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. lie — an untruth
  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