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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: cue · toast · net · bore · snap · coach · clip · chip

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. net — for catching
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cue — a signal
  6. net — after costs
  7. clip — to cut
  8. net — in sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. snap — to click
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. chip — to eat
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. clip — a video
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cue — for pool
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. clip — for paper
  22. toast — bread
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. cue — a hint

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