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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 116 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: race · plane · chip · straw · wave · leaves · row · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. row — to paddle
  3. clip — for paper
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. chip — to eat
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. race — humankind
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. row — a line
  18. race — the arms race
  19. chip — for betting
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. clip — to cut
  24. race — a contest

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