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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: chip · firm · charge · stand · wave · mug · straw · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. charge — a price
  8. mug — a face
  9. firm — steady
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. chip — to eat
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. firm — a company
  15. chip — for betting
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mug — a cup
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. firm — decided
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. charge — in control
  23. clip — to cut
  24. chip — in a computer

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