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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: jam · lean · chip · suit · cold · clip · scale · object

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. chip — for betting
  7. object — to protest
  8. lean — to bend
  9. scale — size or range
  10. object — an aim
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lean — thin
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. object — a thing
  17. scale — in music
  18. clip — for paper
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. suit — to fit
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. chip — to eat
  24. clip — a video

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