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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: lie · clip · plane · staff · arm · stock · mine · craft

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. clip — a video
  2. stock — goods
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mine — for digging
  7. clip — for paper
  8. staff — employees
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. craft — a skill
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. craft — boats
  15. clip — to cut
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. lie — to recline
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — shares
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  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