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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 116 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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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: tube · snap · clip · chip · stand · wave · swing · stick

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. swing — to play on
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. clip — to cut
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. clip — a video
  12. snap — to click
  13. tube — a container
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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