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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: clip · bass · bore · chip · spell · calf · mug · race

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. race — humankind
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. clip — a video
  10. mug — a face
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mug — to rob
  13. spell — letters
  14. race — a contest
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mug — a cup
  19. race — the arms race
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bass — low music
  22. spell — magic
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bass — the fish

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