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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · current · tube · bowl · suit · lash · game · straw

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. clip — a video
  3. current — of water
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. current — electric
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. clip — for paper
  9. current — happening now
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. clip — to cut
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. suit — to fit
  24. game — wild animals

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