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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: chip · clip · deal · can · press · craft · cue · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. clip — a video
  3. press — a publisher
  4. can — a tin
  5. kick — in football
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. can — to be able to
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cue — for pool
  11. clip — for paper
  12. press — to push
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. craft — a skill
  15. clip — to cut
  16. craft — boats
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. chip — for betting
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. can — a tin
  22. press — newspapers
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. deal — to handle

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