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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. kid — to tease
  3. mug — to rob
  4. kid — child
  5. clip — a video
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. clip — for paper
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. land — ground
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mug — a cup
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. land — to come down
  21. board — a committee
  22. land — a country
  23. mug — a face
  24. clip — to cut

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