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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: clip · cabinet · bank · stick · craft · bulb · chair · rush

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. craft — a skill
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. clip — for paper
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bank — of a river
  7. craft — boats
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. clip — a video
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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