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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 120 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: bound · clip · chip · last · cue · coach · current · straw

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cue — a hint
  5. current — of water
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. last — to go on
  8. chip — for betting
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. clip — to cut
  11. current — electric
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cue — a signal
  14. clip — a video
  15. bound — certain
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. current — happening now
  19. bound — obliged
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cue — for pool
  22. last — final
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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