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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: arm · last · lean · mouse · clip · pass · chair · chip

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lean — thin
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. last — finally
  5. chair — a leader
  6. clip — for paper
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. clip — to cut
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. last — final
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. clip — a video
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. last — to go on
  24. pass — a permit

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