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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: mug · deal · arm · spring · chip · safe · pound · clip

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mug — a face
  5. clip — a video
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mug — to rob
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. deal — to handle
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mug — a cup
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. clip — for paper
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. clip — to cut
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. spring — of water

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