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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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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: mouse · kid · hide · firm · clip · chip · wave · saw

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. clip — a video
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — a company
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kid — to tease
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kid — child
  13. chip — for betting
  14. clip — to cut
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. clip — for paper
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. firm — decided
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. firm — steady

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