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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: mouse · straw · object · chip · tube · clip · patient · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. object — to protest
  4. chip — to eat
  5. object — an aim
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. object — a thing
  9. clip — a video
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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