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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
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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: saw · rash · wind · band · key · mug · chip · clip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. clip — a video
  6. band — a ring
  7. rash — hasty
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chip — to eat
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wind — moving air
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mug — a face
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. clip — for paper
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mug — a cup
  19. band — a music group
  20. rash — a series
  21. key — in music
  22. clip — to cut
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wind — moving air

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