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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: mark · cabinet · mouse · bound · tear · staff · clip · coach

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bound — certain
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bound — obliged
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mark — a grade
  10. staff — employees
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. clip — a video
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mark — a trace
  22. clip — for paper
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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