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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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Word bank
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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: prune · clip · mouse · rash · tube · chip · wake · bulb

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. clip — for paper
  4. wake — a trail
  5. chip — to eat
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rash — a series
  16. clip — a video
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. tube — a container
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mouse — the animal

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