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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: clip · chip · mouse · straw · stick · cap · rush · bowl

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cap — a hat
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. clip — a video
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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