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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: staff · foot · swing · mug · hide · chest · clip · rush

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mug — a cup
  4. staff — employees
  5. swing — music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mug — to rob
  8. chest — of your body
  9. clip — to cut
  10. rush — hurry
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mug — a face
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. clip — for paper
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chest — a box
  19. clip — a video
  20. swing — in golf
  21. staff — a stick
  22. foot — a measure
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — to keep secret

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