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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · clip · mug · coach · band · arm · stem · mark

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. clip — a video
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. band — a music group
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. file — a tool
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. mug — a cup
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stem — to come from
  15. clip — for paper
  16. file — a document
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mug — a face
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mark — a trace
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mug — to rob
  23. band — a ring
  24. mark — to pay attention

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