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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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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: dip · staff · swing · stick · clip · saw · bay · kick

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. clip — a video
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. clip — for paper
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. staff — employees
  11. swing — in golf
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. dip — to sink
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. clip — to cut
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. staff — a stick
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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