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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: suit · dip · chip · rush · rule · prune · clip · sharp

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rush — hurry
  3. clip — a video
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. suit — in cards
  6. chip — to eat
  7. suit — to fit
  8. sharp — clever
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. clip — for paper
  14. chip — for betting
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rule — a law
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. prune — to trim
  23. suit — clothes
  24. prune — the fruit

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