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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · ruler · clip · rest · chip · suit

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. 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 — to eat
  2. rest — what's left
  3. clip — for paper
  4. suit — in cards
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. suit — to fit
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. suit — clothes
  11. shower — to wash
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rest — what's left
  14. shower — rain
  15. clip — a video
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rest — a break
  18. 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