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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: pass · clip · bear · wake · chip · kid · current · arm

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bear — the animal
  7. current — electric
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. clip — a video
  15. kid — to tease
  16. current — happening now
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. clip — for paper
  20. current — of water
  21. pass — a permit
  22. kid — child
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. chip — for betting

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