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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: clip · mouse · patient · chip · lash · bowl · ball · roll

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. roll — a cake
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. clip — a video
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. clip — to cut
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. clip — for paper
  23. chip — to eat
  24. ball — a dance

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