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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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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bank — for money
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. squash — to crush
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bank — for money
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. squash — the sport
  12. board — to get on
  13. clip — a video
  14. season — of the year
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bank — of a river
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. season — in sport
  21. branch — a division
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. board — a committee

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