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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: fall · jam · fine · spring · clip · wake · chip · lash

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spring — the season
  3. clip — a video
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. chip — for betting
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chip — to eat
  9. spring — of water
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wake — a trail
  12. clip — to cut
  13. spring — a coil
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fine — all right
  18. fall — the season
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. jam — a tight spot

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