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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: lash · clip · chip · mate · bay · squash · kid · mug

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. squash — to crush
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. mug — a face
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mug — to rob
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. kid — to tease
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mate — a partner
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. kid — child
  24. mate — a friend

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