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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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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 · rest · rock · clip · staff · mouse · mug · wake

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. mug — a face
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rest — what's left
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. clip — a video
  9. wake — a trail
  10. staff — employees
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rock — music
  21. rest — a break
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rock — a stone
  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