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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: bank · fan · clip · board · staff · stem · fine · key

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. staff — employees
  3. clip — for paper
  4. staff — employees
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bank — for money
  12. staff — a stick
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fine — all right
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. clip — a video
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. clip — to cut
  23. board — a committee
  24. key — for a lock

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