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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: wave · clip · snap · cap · chip · lash · mouse · racket

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. chip — for betting
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. clip — a video
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — to cut
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cap — a lid
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. snap — to click
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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