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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · staff · clip · deal · bank · mouse · object · mine

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. object — to protest
  4. key — the most important part
  5. staff — employees
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bank — for money
  8. clip — a video
  9. staff — a stick
  10. object — a thing
  11. bank — of a river
  12. key — in music
  13. bank — for money
  14. staff — employees
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. key — for a lock
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. object — an aim

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