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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
468
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: wave · tube · straw · net · chip · suit · degree · clip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. degree — temperature
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. clip — to cut
  7. suit — in cards
  8. clip — for paper
  9. net — after costs
  10. degree — an amount
  11. net — in sport
  12. clip — a video
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tube — a container
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. net — for catching
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. chip — to eat
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. suit — to fit

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