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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
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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 · wound · pass · racket · lie · clip · trunk · saw

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. clip — for paper
  7. staff — a stick
  8. saw — the tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. clip — a video
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. lie — to recline
  21. staff — employees
  22. clip — to cut
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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