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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. land — a country
  8. clip — for paper
  9. rock — music
  10. clip — a video
  11. staff — employees
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. saw — the tool
  15. land — ground
  16. sharp — clever
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bank — of a river
  19. kick — in football
  20. saw — the tool
  21. land — to come down
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. staff — a stick

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