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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: mug · chip · vault · kid · lie · ball · clip · pop

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. mug — a cup
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — a face
  7. lie — to recline
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. clip — to cut
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. clip — a video
  15. kid — child
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pop — soda
  23. chip — for betting
  24. kid — to tease

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