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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. clip — for paper
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. clip — a video
  18. current — of water
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. squash — to crush
  23. clip — to cut
  24. chip — for betting

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