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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 120 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: patient · board · bank · arm · nail · mouse · staff · clip

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. bank — of a river
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. clip — a video
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. board — a committee
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bank — for money
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. staff — employees
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. staff — employees
  16. bank — for money
  17. clip — to cut
  18. board — to get on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. board — a flat piece
  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