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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 120 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: racket · fine · lash · dip · chip · clip · rule · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. clip — for paper
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rule — government
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. clip — a video
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rule — a law
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fine — all right
  24. clip — to cut

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