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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: swing · bound · cap · chip · clip · trunk · bank · stick

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. swing — music
  3. clip — to cut
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bank — for money
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bound — certain
  10. clip — for paper
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — for betting
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bank — for money
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bound — obliged
  21. clip — a video
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cap — a hat
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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