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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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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: clip · mine · pitcher · pop · suit · current · lash · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. clip — for paper
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pop — soda
  5. current — happening now
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — a video
  9. pop — music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. current — electric
  15. suit — in cards
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mine — for digging
  19. tube — a container
  20. pop — to visit
  21. current — of water
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. suit — to fit

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