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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: clip · coach · hide · stick · deal · drill · craft · dip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. clip — to cut
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. drill — the tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. dip — to sink
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. drill — army training
  18. clip — for paper
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. drill — a practice
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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