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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 120 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: clip · lean · craft · mouse · pop · club · rest · chip

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pop — music
  4. clip — a video
  5. rest — a break
  6. club — for dancing
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. clip — to cut
  11. club — for golf
  12. pop — soda
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. craft — boats
  17. pop — to visit
  18. clip — for paper
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. club — a group
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chip — for betting

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