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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: arm · pit · hide · deal · lash · clip · hand · key

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. hand — help
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. deal — to handle
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. clip — for paper

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