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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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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. band — a music group
  3. can — to be able to
  4. clip — to cut
  5. roll — a list
  6. mug — a cup
  7. can — a tin
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mug — a face
  10. can — a tin
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. staff — a stick
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — for paper
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. band — a ring
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. staff — employees
  21. roll — a cake
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mug — to rob
  24. patient — a sick person

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